


Claimed

by Rckyfrk



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-14
Updated: 2014-08-16
Packaged: 2018-02-13 02:41:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 100,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2134068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rckyfrk/pseuds/Rckyfrk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place right after "Us" (S4, E15). Daryl has taken up with Joe's group on their way to Terminus, but his heart is telling him to turn back and look for Beth. Will Joe and the group help? Will they ever find Beth? Will she still be the same Beth before they were separated?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Daryl lagged behind Joe’s group, having just learned they were on their way to Terminus. His gut was in knots, his heart torn. Joe had been doing right by Daryl. He welcomed him into the group, been a fair leader so far, even took care of that asshole Len instead of letting Daryl try to fend for himself against the whole group. Joe, and the rest of the troupe, had trusted Daryl’s word over Len’s – one of their own. “Maybe these guys are a’right after all,” Daryl thought to himself. 

They were heading to Terminus, on the trail of some scumbag who had attacked one of their group, Lou, completely unprovoked. Sum’bitch didn’t have the balls to let the guys know he was there, that the house was already claimed. Hell, he didn’t even have the decency to properly kill Lou, leaving him to turn to a walker and let him wander through the house while the punk-ass cowered away and ran. Apparently Tony had seen the guy hiding under the bed Len had fought him for...just before blacking out from Len’s chokehold on him. Daryl didn’t want to make waves, finding small solace in having a group to travel with that, for the most part, he mutually respected, and didn’t push the issue.

Something was still nagging him, though. His head told him to stay with Joe and his crew; it’s safer to travel in numbers in this world. His heart, however, was screaming for him to turn back. Beth was still out there. Daryl had told her to wait by the road when the walkers stormed in to the funeral home they were holed up in. He had led the bastards downstairs to the embalming room, taking out as many as he could so she would have a chance to escape. When he finally made it back outside, he rushed to the road. “If it hadn’t been for that walker...” he reflected. “If I hadn’t hesitated before taking him out...maybe I could have gotten to her in time.” The guilt building inside Daryl reared its ugly head, not for the first time in the days since he had last seen her.

When Daryl had finally gotten to the road, he looked frantically for Beth, but she was nowhere to be found. He glanced down and saw her bag, its contents spilling onto the road. Before he’d had a chance to really look, to even pick it up, he heard it: the squealing tires of an old Caddy peeling away down the road. His heart jumped to his throat, his stomach sank. “God, no!” was his only thought. He screamed for her, if anything to let her know he was there, that he’d find her. “Please be alive” his heart prayed with every step as he gave chase. He’d never been one to pray before, but if there was a God up there, he could certainly use some of his help now.

He had run all night, trying desperately to track the car down, hoping against hope that he’d find some clue as to where they might be heading with his Beth. 

That’s right – she was his. She had reached out and touched him, touched his heart. She’d ended up being a better friend than he’d ever had, better than he’d ever deserved. Every beautiful smile she cast his way; every time she’d looked at him with those doe-eyes of hers; every time she had touched him, hugged him; every time she’d stood up to him until he would recognize she wasn’t just a dumb kid, but a strong-willed woman...she’d been chipping away at the walls he’d been building around his heart since he was a kid. He’d let her in, and now he couldn’t stop thinking about her, worrying about her, hoping anyone who would listen to his silent prayers would answer. He had to save her. 

His mind was made up. Joe or no Joe, Daryl had to save Beth.

Daryl jogged up ahead to catch up with Joe, who was well ahead of him, following the train tracks to Terminus.

“Joe, I can’t go with ya no more. I gotta go back.”

The older man pulled the cigarillo from between his teeth and regarded Daryl with calculating eyes. “Say what?”

“I gotta go back, Joe. I gotta take care of my own.”

Joe stopped in his tracks and turned to fully face Daryl. The rest of the group followed suit. “I thought we were a team now, Daryl. You desertin’ us?” 

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Daryl responded, looking down at the dust on his shoes, then raising his piercing eyes to meet Joe’s.

“You were alone when we found you, when we took you in. What ‘own’ you gonna take care of?” Joe peered at Daryl, replacing the cigarillo to the left side of his mouth.

“When ya found me, I was tryin’ ta find my....” Christ, his what? He wouldn’t call her his girlfriend, though at that thought he noticed his pulse quickening. ‘Sides, what kind of asshole would leave his girlfriend and take up with a bunch of strangers without a second thought? He debated telling Joe he needed to find his friend, but Beth was more than just a friend to him now. She was his anchor that kept him from spiraling out of control with his guilt at what had happened at the prison. She had breathed hope into his withered heart. She’d forced him to see the good in any situation, in other people, and he knew he was better for it in the long run. He’d trusted Joe because of her, and look where that got him so far.

“...my partner.” There. That was at least closer. They worked together as a team...when they were together. A damn good team. 

“Your partner?!?” Joe asked, eyebrows raising clear off his forehead. “Wouldn’t’a pegged you as one’a them sissy boys.” The group around him started chuckling.

Shit. “NO! Not like that! She...”

“Oh, it’s a she, huh?” asked one of the guys, still snickering with the rest of the crew. “Fuckers...” Daryl said under his breath.

He took a deep breath. “Yes. Her name’s Beth.” Daryl glowered at the group at large. “She was taken from me when I got stormed by some walkers. Don’t know who took ‘er or to where, but I gotta find her. I gotta try.”

“Well, shit, son. Why the hell you been keeping this quiet about it this whole time?” Joe asked incredulously. 

“I didn’t know you guys...wasn’t about to lead a bunch of bandits to try and find her and do god knows what with her...no offense,” Daryl added, almost apologetically.

“Hey, brother, none taken.” Joe spoke for the group. “I tell you what. We’re not that far off from where we first found you.” It was true. The group was in no rush to get to Terminus. They had stayed at the garage (where the rest of the group had “taken care” of Len) until late morning, figuring on catching up on sleep while they could. Joe didn’t trust the idea of Terminus – something that promising was far too good to be true. They were taking their time, making sure not to miss any tracks from the sonofabitch that killed Lou, in case he’d wandered off the train tracks. “We’ll double back and try and pick up the trail. I gotta warn ya, son. It’s been a couple days...the trail’s probably ice cold by now,” Joe continued with a doubtful look in his eyes. Daryl could hear some of the other men shift uncomfortably, not looking forward to back tracking an entire day’s worth of distance on some wild goose chase.

“I ‘preciate that, Joe. I can’t ask you all to do that for me, though.” Daryl would be able to hold his own just fine without them. He’d done it before, he’d do it again.

“Hey, we’re a team. We watch each other’s backs. ‘Safety in numbers. No one can survive this world alone.” Joe wasn’t about to lose one of the best hunters and trackers he’d met because of some lost cause. Daryl had the potential to be a leader in the group, and these men needed strong leaders to keep ‘em in line. Rules or no, if Joe was the only one enforcing them, one day they wouldn’t be enough. Joe liked Daryl, figured he had a good head on his shoulders (this fool’s errand aside) and seemed like he took to the rules quickly. He wasn’t gonna let him get away that easily.

“Boys, we’re heading back. We’ll catch up with that asshole another day.” Joe clapped Daryl on the shoulder, smiled with his cigar still firmly embedded in his back teeth, and started back the way they’d come.

XXXXX

In a dark room, Beth’s eyes snapped open. She found herself on a concrete floor. There was no light source anywhere. She had two thoughts, almost simultaneously.

“Where am I?”

“Where is Daryl?”


	2. Chapter 2

Beth shook her head, trying to clear out the cobwebs in her mind. How long had she been out? There was a dull ache spreading from her neck up to her temples – had she been knocked out? She tried to think back to that night. Was it last night? Two nights ago? There was no way for her to tell while inside this pitch black room. 

She took stock of herself. Her jaw was starting to ache because of the gag that had been tied around her head. She recognized her shoulders had the same ache before realizing her hands had been bound behind her back. She could still kick her legs freely, so at least there was that. 

She carefully rolled onto her front so she could get her knees underneath her and push up from the floor. It took some effort to force herself to an upright position, but she made it. Sitting on her feet know, waiting for her breathing to return to normal, she tried peering around the room. It was still pitch black, only the ghost of an outline of the door to be seen, but it seemed impossibly high. 

“Okay, Beth. Think. That’s the way out...but how are you gonna pull this off?” she mused to herself. She certainly wouldn’t get far with her hands tied behind her back. She tried twisting her wrists to test the ropes, to see if they had any give. The rope slid, just a hair, giving her just a little more maneuverability than a minute ago. 

“If I can get my hands out from behind me, maybe I can get them loosened more.” She continued her forced slow breathing. Moving frantically wouldn’t help her out of this situation at all. Daryl had taught her, among other things, patience. She tried standing up, wobbling a little to do so. She slid her bound hands down the back of her thighs, past her knees, her calves. “Almost there!” she thought excitedly. Whether it was from the rush of blood to her head from being bent in half, a mild concussion from being knocked in the back of the head by her abductor, or a combination of the two, her balance just wasn’t there. She couldn’t get her feet to come off the floor and step through her arms without falling over on her face.

Releasing a frustrated sigh, she began to slowly right herself, her hands returning back to where they had started, the ache in her shoulders returning with a vengeance. 

She thought back to her days on the farm, when her father had brought home Nelly, a skittish young mare who took an unusual long time to come around and let Beth work with her. It took constant coaxing, lots of treats and soft words before the horse began to trust Beth enough to let her ride. When the day had finally come, Beth took Nelly on one of her favorite trails on the farm, leading to the brook that ran through the woods that surrounded the farmhouse. Beth could remember the feel of Nelly plodding along, could almost hear the brook babbling across the smooth stones. She recalled vividly the snake that had come from seemingly nowhere and spooked Nelly, causing her to rear back and throw Beth off her back. The snake, thankfully, took off as Nelly continued to whinny and buck and Beth huddled into the smallest size she could make herself to avoid getting trampled. Her curling in on herself caused a great sensation of pain to shoot through her shoulder; she instantly knew at the very least that she had landed right on it and dislocated it. 

Nelly bounded off, still nickering in distress as she ran off. Beth pushed herself up off the forest floor, cradling her right arm, and headed for home. She finally reached the front porch just before sunset. She wandered into the kitchen, knowing she’d find her mother and father there getting ready for supper. Hershel’s eyes swept over to her and immediately turned worried, his eyes asking the words his mouth hadn’t found yet. “Beth, honey, what happened?”

“Nelly got spooked by a snake and threw me. I think I dislocated my shoulder.” She knew her father would take care of her. He was an established veterinarian, so he’d easily be able to realign Beth’s shoulder. His gentle fingers tested the flesh of her upper arm and back. Beth couldn’t help but wince in pain from his ministrations.

“Yep, feels like it’s dislocated. Just relax, take a nice deep breath. We’ll get you right as rain in no time,” Hershel told his daughter, visibly shaken from having been thrown from the horse. He was glad it wasn’t anything more serious.

Hershel had Beth sit in one of the kitchen chairs, repeated his instructions for her to relax and to straighten her shoulder as much as she could. Beth closed her eyes and focused on her breathing while her father gently moved her elbow, her wrist, twisting her arm and turning it until suddenly - *SNAP* The pain from the dislocation was instantly replaced by a dull ache as her muscles and tendons began to ease back into place after having been stretched.

“That’s that!” Hershel exclaimed when it was all over. He went off to get her a sling, some ibuprofen and a glass of water. “Take it easy on your arm for the next couple days. No sense in aggravating it any more than it already is. You were lucky it wasn’t any worse.” He ruffled her hair, leaving her to take her pills as he helped his wife finish preparing their meal.

Since that day, Beth found it took very little effort to pop her shoulder in and out of socket again, and didn’t need her father to re-set the joint for her anymore. Armed with that knowledge, she lifted her arms up toward her head, her hands awkwardly being forced away from her back. She felt the tension in her right shoulder until it popped out of place, allowing her to wind her arms up over her head and in front of her.  
Turning away from the faint outline of the door in front of her, she reached her hands in front of her, scuffling her feet along the floor so as not to trip on anything, moving slowly until she came to a wall. She took a deep breath, bore down on her gag, and pushed her shoulder against the wall, forcing the ball back into the socket. While she normally would have given herself plenty of time to let the muscles in her arm readjust, she just didn’t have that option now. She immediately brought her hands to the gag in her mouth, feeling around the side of her face, before reaching over her head to find the knot holding the rag in place. Always mindful of her breathing, she set her fingers to work untying the knot until the rag finally dropped from her mouth. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, working the tension out of her jaws.  
Next came the rope tying her hands together. Using her teeth along with her fingers, she began forcing the strands of the rope loose until the knot began to unravel. The strain from moving her hands so much to free herself of her bonds had cause the rope to cut into her skin, leaving the skin of her wrists raw and slightly bloody. She rubbed at her wrists with alternating hands, hoping to improve circulation, all the while desperately searching for some clue as to where she was, or how she could get out. 

She bent down to pick up the rope and the rag. “You never know when you’ll need something,” she thought to herself, hoping Daryl would be proud of her thinking ahead. No signs forthcoming in the bleak and dusky room, Beth began to feel her way around, using the wall as a guide. Again, she was shuffling her feet, so she wouldn’t trip over anything. She reached high and low with her hands, hoping to find a window, a shelf, anything she could use as a weapon or a way out. The walls were cold, and she could feel the edges of the cinderblocks lining the room beneath her fingertips. She reached a corner, then another, still not finding anything.

She turned a third corner. Suddenly, her hands met with empty space. She shuffled her feet into the space, but her toes were met with a hard surface along the floor. She bent to touch her toes and realized it was a step...then another step. That’s why the door looked so far away – she was in a lower level of...wherever she was...and the steps led to the door leading upstairs. It would also explain why she hadn’t felt any windows. Beth felt along the walls of the staircase, hoping for a light switch, but there was nothing. Perhaps there was a switch at the top of the steps, but she’d have to investigate that later. She wanted to finish searching the musty room first before moving on to something else. 

Beth continued her search, feeling high and low once again along the cinderblock walls. Suddenly she felt another opening, but with no steps leading anywhere. Upon further inspection, she felt a door frame but no door – just the hinges. It was a smaller room, she deduced, and continued to follow the wall around until her foot caught on something, then her hands felt it. A piece of furniture, a desk, was sitting up against the wall. Silently rejoicing, she began opening drawers, praying in her heart that she would find something, anything, to help her escape. There in the center drawer her hands closed around cold metal – a pair of scissors. “It’ll work!” she thought as she stuffed the handle into her back pocket. She kept searching, rummaging through papers she couldn’t see and found, in the far back of the drawer, a letter opener. Again cheering to herself, she added the sharp metal to her meager inventory of weapons. If she couldn’t use it as a weapon, she could certainly use it to try to force the door open. 

Finding little else of use in the desk, she continued her search of the room. She ended up following the walls back to the staircase, having gone around the room completely and doubling back. Staying close to the walls of the staircase so as not to make a sound, (a lesson she learned from Maggie when trying to sneak back into the house after curfew one night...before...) Beth began her ascent. Her heart was pounding in her ears, not sure what she would find at the top of the stairs. She was almost to the top, could feel the door looming just out of her reach, when she heard voices...and footsteps...and they were coming nearer at an alarming pace.

Beth dashed down the steps as quickly as she could, taking one step at a time so she wouldn’t bottom out once she reached the cement floor again. She darted around the corner into the smaller room with the desk, ducked underneath and tucked her knees up to her chin, drew the pair of scissors from her pocket, and waited...


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl stayed close to Joe as the group headed back the way they came. He trusted them, just not enough to fully turn his back to them. When Joe had announced they were heading back in search of Daryl’s friend, it was hard to ignore the grumbling and muttering coming from the group. They had gone along with the new plan, however unwillingly.

“So what’re we looking for?” Joe suddenly broke the silence.

The question snapped Daryl from his thoughts of Beth, his imagination running wild with the different scenarios she may have wound up in. “Whaddya mean?”

“Well, you said she was taken from ya. How do ya know she didn’t just leave yer redneck ass?” Joe mockingly replied.

Daryl ground his teeth, pushing the fear of that particular scenario aside. “I saw the car that took ‘er. It was a Caddy, missing a brake light, dark…maybe even black…and had a big white cross on the rear window.” His throat started to get tight at the memory. He’d never forget that night.

Joe asked if the car sounded familiar to any of the group, but no one had anything to offer. “Well, what else ya got?” he turned to Daryl again.

“I dunno, man. I know she’s got a hurt ankle, so she can’t run far. She dropped her bag when they took her, so I don’t even know if she’s got a way to defend herself. She’s a tough kid, but if she doesn’t have her knife…” his voice trailed off as a new fear wrapped itself around his heart. Dammit, how could he have been so stupid? I should’a checked the damn door before I opened it. I should’a kept her with me. Daryl swallowed hard on the lump in his throat, willing himself not to panic.

“Well, she’d have to be tough to put up with a sumbitch like you.” Joe heckled Daryl, to no response. “We’ll pick up where you left off. Mebbe we’ll find somethin’”

“Yeah…maybe…” Daryl fought to keep what little hope he had left alive. He owed Beth that much.

XXXXX

Beth had been hiding under the desk for…who knows how long? There was no way to tell how fast or slowly time ticked by in the pitch black room. She still had an iron grip on the pair of scissors, waiting and hoping she’d be able to make her exit soon.

Finally she heard heavy footsteps right above her, then a gruff voice cut through the silence. “Ahright, ahright, I’ll get to it. Just wanna check on the new bitch downstairs first. Maybe she’s up for a little welcome into our company.”

Beth felt an icy chill run from the top of her head to the base of her spine and a stone sink to the pit of her stomach. She fought to keep the fear from taking over and worked to steel her nerves. She would certainly not be an easy welcome into whatever this ‘company’ was. She readjusted the handle of the scissors in her hand and prepared for the worst. 

Above her, she heard the footsteps stop at the door at the top of the staircase and the door handle click as whoever it was released the lock. Beth heard the door swing open and saw a pool of light hit the concrete floor. A dark shadow loomed into the sudden brightness at the bottom of the stairs. Then she noticed...the pool of light moved...it was rounded. “He’s got a flashlight,” Beth silently deduced, “which means he’s got a weapon in hand...and a way to look around corners.” She scrunched back as far as she dared under the desk without making a sound and fought to control her breathing. “It’s just like being on a hunt. Remember what Daryl taught you. Breathe too loud, the prey gets away,” she reminded herself.

“Fuck! Where the hell did she go?” the large man finally made it to the bottom of the stairs and had obviously realized Beth wasn’t where they had left her. Her pulse quickened, her heart racing in her ears; it   
would be a miracle if this monster of a man didn’t hear it himself.

Beth decided she would try to get the drop on him, now that he was confused, before he could find her hiding spot. She slid out from under the desk and flattened herself against the opposite wall of the closet, pressing herself into the corner next to the door frame. The beam from the flashlight ghosted across the room, then swept immediately back, as if the man hadn’t realized the room was even there in the first place. His, “What the hell?” confirmed the men who ran this house, whatever it was, had not done as thorough a search of the house as they should have. She heard his footsteps get closer, the beam of light sharpening on the floor just past her toes. She brought the scissors to her shoulder, poised to strike as soon as he was in reach.

Two more steps and the man had passed through the door frame, directly even with her. This was it. With a guttural scream, she pushed herself away from the wall and went to strike her abductor, aiming for the tender flesh where his neck meets his shoulder. 

He was too quick for her, and backed up out of the room and out of reach. She silently cursed to herself, knowing she had just lost her most powerful weapon – the element of surprise. She’d have to face him head on now. 

The man shone the flashlight right in her face and she was blinded, her eyes having been accustomed to the pitch black for far too long. She dropped her scissors to shield her eyes with her hands and shrieks again, this time in pain and shock. 

“Well, well, well...we got us a fighter!” the man chuckled cruelly. Beth heard another voice from above call down the stairs. “Hey Harv! What the hell’s going on down there? Ya need help gettin’ it done?”

“Nah, Marty, we’re doin’ just fine,” he called back. “Just havin’ a little fun is all.” 

“Well, while yer havin’ yer fun, we’re goin on another recruiting run. See ya in a couple hours.”

Harvey leered at the young girl in front of him. “Sounds like we’re gonna have the whole house to ourselves, girlie. If yer good, I’ll give ya a proper...tour...in every room in this house.” Beth fought a wave of nausea at the horrid thoughts flitting through her imagination as her skin started to crawl.

“Now, we ain’t gonna have no more trouble from ya, are we girlie?” Harvey took a step closer, raising his hand up to cradle her cheek. As soon as she felt his touch on her skin, she slapped his hand away, took a step back, and spit right into his face. Her bold move was immediately met with swift retribution – an angry back hand across her face. She could instantly feel the skin on her cheek and around her eye flush from the sudden rush of pain. She kept her eyes, still slowly adjusting to the new sources of light, to the front, an angry scowl and glare crossing her face. 

“Look here, you little bitch,” Harvey spat at her, “this is gonna go one of two ways. You just let me know how hard you want to make it on yourself, but either way, I’m gonna win.” With those words, he backhanded her other cheek, this time causing her to stumble to the ground. The fall caused her to trip over her own feet, and she was painfully reminded that her ankle had not quite healed completely. A stab of pain screamed up her leg, but she couldn’t let it show, not for a second.

The next thing she knew, Harvey was kneeling before her, flipping her onto her back, forcing his way between her legs. He had set the flashlight on the ground, giving him the use of both hands and casting the room in odd shadows. His meaty hands grabbed at the button of her jeans, then all but tore her zipper open, giving him the briefest glimpse of her pink cotton panties. “Oh, yes, girlie. We’re gonna have some fun tonight.”

Beth felt something rough scratch at the skin just above her left hip. She reached down with her left hand while her right hand continued to try to fight him off, reaching to claw at his eyes, but never reaching her ultimate goal. Her left hand made it down to her pocket and grabbed hold of...what? “The rope!” her mind reeled in elation. She wasn’t done fighting yet.

In one fluid motion, she pulled the length of rope out of her pocket and wound an end into each of her hands. She swiftly brought her right knee up, firmly connecting with the monster’s groin, causing him to yell out and double over in pain. This was her chance – she pushed both hands on either side of his head, wrapped the rope around his neck, put both ends in her dominant right hand and started twisting, wrapping the rope around her fingers, tightening around his throat. 

Harvey rocked back on his knees, bringing Beth up with him. The second she could find her footing, she pushed herself off the floor, keeping the rope tight around his neck, and ran out of reach of his arms. She stood behind his back as she tightened the rope even more, pulling with all her strength and deftly avoiding his flailing arms.

She imagined Daryl’s voice instead of hearing the man’s attempts to catch any breath. “Keep it up, Beth. Be strong. Don’t let up. Just breathe.” Harvey’s movements became slower and slower, his arms beginning to droop to his sides. Her arms were shaking with the force of holding the rope so tight in her hand, but twisted the rope again around her hand, making sure there was absolutely no slack...making sure absolutely no air was reaching his lungs.

He gave one final sound, like a choked off plea for help. Suddenly everything stopped. Harvey had stopped his desperate gasping; there was no movement to him at all. His torso became unexpectedly heavy. Beth kept up her grip on the rope. She didn’t want to let him drop to the floor just to find out he was merely unconscious. She put her left hand in front of his nose and mouth and waited. He wasn’t breathing. She felt for a pulse on his neck...nothing. She swiftly released the rope, and his head hit the concrete with a sickening thud. She didn’t want to have to deal with a walker, and wanted to make damn sure he was dead. Beth grabbed the flashlight from the floor, found her pair of scissors, and stabbed Harvey in the back of the head.

Beth pulled out the scissors with a squelching sound, wiped the blood off on Harvey’s shirt, buttoned her pants, stuffed the rope back into her pocket. She checked Harvey for any kind of weapon, but found nothing. “He probably thought he wouldn’t need one to deal with me. Dumbass,” she thought to herself, not caring to blush at having thought the curse word. She began to go up the stairs. If Marty had spoken the truth, a number of men had left. She’d still have to be cautious, not knowing how many men there were to begin with, but she felt better armed and better prepared for what may come her way.

XXXXX

Daryl, Joe and the others had made it back to the fork in the road where Daryl had first joined them. “Which way now?” Joe turned to Daryl.

Daryl wasn’t sure which way to go. It was the main reason he had stopped that morning – not from exhaustion, but he just couldn’t find the trail anymore. The autumn leaves from the trees lining the highway had covered the pavement, and the wind had blown them so much he couldn’t make anything of it. “Well, you boys know this area better’n me. What’s all ‘round here?”

Mac, the tall and lanky one, piped up. “Well, down that way ain’t nuthin’ but a couple farm houses. Cross the tracks and there’s a town just a couple miles down.”

“Then we head for the farm houses. Too many walkers when you head into the towns. Any group with half a brain among ‘em would avoid the towns,” Daryl decided.

“Alright. It’s settled. Let’s take a breather, just ta get some food in us, and then we’ll press on. We’re gonna need ta find a place to sleep before it gets too dark, anyway.” Joe determined. 

While Daryl didn’t like stopping, for food or for sleep, while Beth was still out there, he couldn’t argue with Joe’s logic. He dropped his garbage bag, plopped down on the side of the road, reluctantly waiting for the group to finish their break. Out of nowhere, a half packet of crackers appeared in his lap. He looked up to see Joe looking down on him, half grinning. 

“Don’t need no handouts,” Daryl refuted. 

“No, I know ya don’t, but yer gonna take it anyway. Yer gonna need yer strength when we find this little chickie of yours.” Joe had easily deflected the snub. Again, Daryl couldn’t argue the logic. He liked Joe, but if...no...when they found Beth, would he be able to stay with the group and keep her safe?


	4. Chapter 4

Beth sat at the bottom of the steps, her head in her hands. The physical exertion from taking out her would-be attacker had left her feeling dizzy, and it dawned on her that she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink in at least a day, maybe two. Her mind was made up – the next step was to find something to help regain her strength. If the house she was in was set up with any logic, the kitchen should be just above her. Tucking the scissors and letter opener in one back pocket, the flashlight in the other, and making sure the rope and rag were still in her front pockets, she made her way up the steps, still being cautious. She still didn’t know if there was anyone left in the house. 

As she reached the top of the steps, Beth craned her neck to try to see past the door frame. Not seeing anyone so far, she dared another step...then another. She was finally on the landing of the staircase, peeking around the corner, straining to hear any noise from the rest of the house. Taking a calming breath, she stepped onto the linoleum and discovered she was right – the stairs had led right to the kitchen.   
Beth moved as quickly as she could, keeping as much weight off her bum ankle as she could. She grabbed the flashlight from her pocket and switched it on and began her search, hoping the men who had taken up in this house had the forethought to stock up on food. Sitting on the counter were two bottles of water. Not caring where they came from, Beth snatched one and tore the lid off, gulping half the bottle down in one go. She started opening cabinets. Luckily, she found packages of beef jerky, a few cans of mixed fruit, and a jar of peanut butter. Beth quickly unscrewed the lid off the peanut butter and dug her fingers in, dispensing with the niceties and focusing solely on regaining her strength. After a second scoop of peanut butter had gone down (with the help of the rest of the bottle of water), she tore open a package of jerky and began gnawing on a large piece, the salty flavor flooding her mouth and causing her to salivate. She didn’t want to spend time on finding a can opener for the fruit and decided, if she could, she would come back for it later. Grabbing another piece of jerky, she began her silent search of the house. 

It was a comfortable farm house, not unlike her old house from a lifetime ago. A thick layer of dust covered most surfaces, except for the couches and chairs – those had obviously been used recently by the men she had heard earlier. Sitting in a corner was a rucksack full of some well-worn clothes, a lighter, and, at the very bottom, a knife. Beth smiled as her fingers closed around the handle. It was smaller than the one Daryl had given her, but it was more than what she had now. Hoisting the bag onto her shoulder, Beth continued her exploration, and discovered the house had a second story. As she expected, the bedrooms were all upstairs, just as they had been in her old house. Upon further examination, however, these rooms were much, much different...

XXXXX

Daryl had his crossbow ready, his eyes constantly searching for anything that moved, be it walker or prey. The area must have been pretty picked over; he’d been on the hunt for what felt like hours and hadn’t seen so much as a squirrel or a bunny. Then, finally, about 30 yards away, a graceful doe wandered into a clearing. Daryl slowly dropped to one knee, giving his aim more than enough stability and taking him out of the line of sight of the deer. He waited patiently for her to come a little closer to him. 

As the deer slowly made its way through the clearing, Daryl heard something off to his left, dropped his crossbow and turned slowly to look. His trained eyes couldn’t find the source of the interruption, and he turned back to continue watching the deer, re-aiming his bow. 

It was gone. He hadn’t heard her run away, but she was absolutely gone. Slowly standing up, he peered into the clearing, taking careful steps so as not to make any noise. Something else had taken its place. He could see the top of someone’s head…someone blonde…with a ponytail and a thick braid running through it.

His heart leapt for joy. Daryl ran to the clearing, not caring anymore about any noise he may be making. He all but called out to her, to let her know he was there, that he had found her. Her name was about to cross his lips, when he suddenly stopped short, having just crossed into the clearing.

This wasn’t his Beth. He looked in horror as she came into full view. Her clothes were ragged and bloody. Her skin was no longer a creamy porcelain, but a dingy gray. Her mouth, normally filled with a smile she freely gave him, was distorted and drooped at the corners, snarling at him as she came further into the clearing. Her steps were halted and disjointed, not like before, where every step was almost a dance in itself, where he could lose himself watching the gentle sway of her hips. What pained him, terrified him, most was when he sought her eyes, once a beautiful clear green, but now were lifeless, and almost inhuman.   
Daryl sank to his knees, letting his crossbow drop to the ground. His heart was filled with grief, hatred, despair, guilt, and then...nothing. He didn’t care anymore. Life was nothing without his Beth, there was no hope for better days, no joy left in the world. He couldn’t bring himself to take down this monster in front of him; it was still her body, even if her beautiful soul was no longer there. He just sat there and awaited his fate.

He heard the snarling groans getting ever nearer, and hung his head and wept for his Beth. “I’m sorry...I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for ya...I’m sorry I let you down...” He felt the rancid breath bearing down onto his neck...

Daryl’s eyes snapped open and he sat up with a start, all but screaming. He had broken into a cold sweat, his heart hammering in his chest. It had been a dream...a nightmare...the most horrific thing his brain could come up with. His mind slowly began to calm down, along with his pulse, as he gasped for breath and gripped the handle of his bow ever tighter. 

Daryl sprang into action; his mind was set. He wasn’t going to wait another minute to find her. He had every intention of leaving the group now and tracking her down himself. He gathered his belongings and made to continue the path the group had been taking.

“Where’s the fire, Daryl?”

Dammit. Daryl turned to face the owner of the voice, knowing before he saw the face that it belonged to Joe. He debated telling Joe he just needed to take a piss, but when he didn’t return, Joe and the group would start following him, and he knew what happened to liars. He didn’t care what happened to him, but if he was gone, no one would be looking for Beth. He sighed heavily before answering. “I’m done restin’. Imma get goin’, see if I can pick up a trail.”

“Now, see, I can’t have ya doin’ that. I know yer tryin’ ta find this girl, but you don’ know who she’s with. Some rescue you’re gonna be with three bolts and a knife against who knows how many? Naw. Let the boys get a couple more winks of shut-eye and we’ll head out. Together.”

Daryl scowled, hating that Joe was right once again. A niggling thought in his brain made him wonder why Joe was so protective of Daryl, so insistent that he stay with the group, but he didn’t have time to dwell on that idea for long. “I’ll give ya til daybreak.”

XXXXX

The gruesome sight in front of Beth as she crept into the bedroom almost had her throwing up what little was in her stomach. There was a four-poster bed, with ropes and chains tied to each corner. Blood spatter painted every surface in the room. Upon a closer look, she saw blood on the bed at each corner and on the pillows. 

The pieces fell into place. These men, whoever they were, would evidently kidnap women, beat them into submission, tie them to the bed and do whatever they wanted with them, apparently until the men grew bored with them or beat them to death. She shuddered at the thought, realizing this would have been her fate if she hadn’t escaped from the basement. 

Beth tightened her grip on the knife and flashlight in her hands and made for the staircase. She had to get out before anyone came back. Looking at the sky through the bedroom window, it would be dawn soon. She wouldn’t have long before she lost the night’s darkness to hide her as she escaped. 

She hobbled as quickly as she could down the stairs, stopping in the kitchen to grab the rest of the food and stuff it into her bag. She headed back to the living room, where she had seen the front door. She opened it, quickly looking to make sure the coast was clear and was about to hop down the front steps when an idea came to her. She tore off her bag, searching its contents for...the lighter. She grinned, calmly walked over to the main window and clicked the lighter until the small flame spouted forth, igniting the curtains. She walked to the bookcase, grabbed a book randomly from the shelf, and flipped it open, setting fire to the open pages before placing it near a pillow on the couch. She grabbed another book and repeated the process, but left it sitting upright and open on the shelf. Before the flames got too high, she set fire to the tablecloth draped over an end table, then tipped the table over, willing the flames to catch on the old carpet.

In her mind, the fire served three purposes; it would destroy whatever sanctuary these bastards had, it would lure the walkers toward the house for their return (and draw them away from her as she tried to escape), and with that much smoke, maybe Daryl would still be looking for her and would see the smoke and somehow know it was her.

Satisfied with her latest bout of arson, she walked down the steps, leaving the front door standing open, and moved as quickly as she could on her weak ankle. She followed the winding gravel driveway down the hill, staying hidden within the cover of the trees. She ventured as deep into the forest as she dared, not wanting to lose sight of the driveway leading her to the main road. Beth stayed crouched down, not knowing when the rest of the men would be coming back. 

She chanced a glance back at the house, glad to see the steady plume of black smoke rising into the dawn-lit sky. Just as she was turning to face the road again, she saw headlights coming up the driveway and fell to the ground, pressing herself down to take up the smallest space possible. The car came and went without slowing. Beth picked herself up slowly, crouching down once again, and all but ran away from the house.


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl was pacing already as the sun came up. His nightmare had spurred him into action; he was itching to get a move on, and didn't care if his impatience was showing. He made no pretense to stay quiet as the other men started to wake up. It took all the strength he had not to bark at them to get a move on. He was getting close to finding his Beth – he could just feel it.

After minutes that seemed like hours, the group was finally ready to continue their search for the girl. They returned to the road and headed toward the farmhouses that were supposed to be somewhere down this road. Mac commented, "Damn, ya smell that?" The rest of the group automatically began sniffing at the morning air and murmured in consent; they all smelled something burning.

Daryl scanned above the tree line, looking for the source of the smell. Not five miles away was a steady stream of black smoke rising above the horizon. His gut knew it was Beth, remembering that night in the moonshine shack. Beth had suggested burning down the cabin, wanting to destroy their past, only looking to the hope of the future. If he knew Beth, after what he imagined she had gone through, she would want to burn those memories, too. It had to be her, sending him a signal.

Daryl's impatience and anxiety were wearing away at his normally relaxed gait, and he ended up leading the group rather than taking his usual position toward the back.

Suddenly, up ahead, he saw a set of skid marks turning sharply into a hidden driveway to the left. He tried to control his excitement – these could have happened a year ago or a week ago. It's not like these roads were well travelled anymore, so there would be little to cause them to fade over time anyway. He jogged up ahead to examine them further, then turned and waited for the rest of the group to catch up, fighting the urge in his heart to start walking up the driveway without them.

Joe and the rest of the men finally drew alongside Daryl and he pointed out the tire tracks to them. Their reaction wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as his, bringing up the point that the marks could have been made at any time.

"Well, let's head up the drive and see what's there," Daryl suggested, trying to hold his eagerness in check.

"And what the hell do you propose we do when we get up there? What if it's overrun by walkers and we get swarmed? What if they got people on guard duty and take us out before we even get up the hill?" The   
group at large had apparently lost their nerve…and Daryl was losing his patience.

"What the fuck you think we been walkin' out here for? Whether Beth's up there or not, I gotta know! I'm goin, with or without you pussies," Daryl shouted at them, pissed and frustrated that they were suddenly deserting him. Then he heard it…a soft, feminine, gasp. His eyes darted to the driveway, searching for the source of the sound.

XXXXX

Beth had been careful heading down the hill, still staying hidden in the woods and following the curves of the driveway so she wouldn't get any more lost than she already was. She had reached the bottom of the hill, the road ahead of her just in sight. She decided to stop here while she was still hidden to eat more of the beef jerky and sip on the bottle of water she had left. She sat at the base of a large oak tree, hoping she'd stay concealed in the foliage around her.

Now she was faced with a new dilemma…right or left? She couldn't remember anything about the drive to the house, having been unconscious the whole time. She had no idea which way would take her toward…anything. She continued eating and sipping her water, debating what to do when all she wanted to do was lay down and cry.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there, only aware of the fact that the sun was definitely up above the horizon, so at least an hour after dawn. All of a sudden she thought she heard voices…male voices…and her heart leapt to her throat. Were there more of them than just the ones who had taken the car from the house? She stayed as still as she could, not daring to move and accidently cause any noise to attract the attention of the group. They were arguing about something, she wasn't sure what. Suddenly she heard a voice with a familiar twang, shouting at the other men. "What the fuck you think we been walkin' out here for? Whether Beth's up there or not, I gotta know! I'm goin, with or without you pussies." There was no mistaking that voice.

Her heart raced at the sound of his voice saying her name. She crawled up on her knees to peer over the bush she was hiding behind and saw Daryl's distinctive vest with the angel wings on the back. Beth let out an audible gasp. As she saw him turn around to look, she slowly rose from the ground, coming into clear view.

XXXXX

Daryl turned, his eyes searching, and saw a blonde head of hair come from behind a bush. For a split second, his heart froze with terror as he recalled last night's nightmare. Then he saw her bright green eyes, wide with what looked like disbelief. He felt a thrill come over his body. He swallowed hard, shouldering his crossbow and dropping his bag of belongings. Joe was nearest to him. Daryl began walking toward Beth, saying just loud enough for Joe to hear, "Claimed."

Daryl strode over to her, crossing through the brush alongside the driveway, paying no mind to the branches reaching out between him and Beth. She simply stood there, seemingly in shock at what she was seeing. His arms moved toward her as he walked ever closer. Instead of wrapping around her, his rough hands gently cupped her face. His eyes took in the red marks threatening to bruise on each side of her face, his hands careful not to touch them. His thumbs lightly grazed her cheeks, and he turned her face upward. He brought his lips to meet hers, lightly at first. He felt her surprised reaction, but then felt her melt against him, bringing her hands to glide along his lower back and travel toward his shoulders. He moved his arms, one around her shoulders, the other hand landing along the small of her back, holding her intimately close to him, but keeping the kiss as chaste as he could. Daryl had all but forgotten they weren't alone until he heard someone clear their throat. He growled against Beth's mouth, not wanting to pull away, but knowing he needed to. He stepped back, breaking the kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

Beth’s eyes fluttered open, gazing up at Daryl in surprise. She was more than happy to see him, to be near him again, but that kiss...she certainly hadn’t expected that, nor was she complaining. Her lips still tingled, could still feel the pressure from his. When she had regained some composure, she nervously glanced around – not because someone had seen Daryl kiss her, but that she was surrounded by a group of strange, dangerous looking men. She fought to regain her breath and grasped Daryl’s forearms, looking back up to his piercing blue eyes. “Daryl, we have to get away from here.”

Daryl swallowed hard, fighting to control his thoughts. He hadn’t planned on kissing Beth, the action came as naturally to him as breathing, and it had rocked him to his core. He felt an electric connection to the girl, one he had been fighting since they had been paired up after the prison fell. By the looks of Beth, her pupils dilated and the pulse point on her neck fluttering, she had felt the same connection. Daryl could feel the urge to kiss Beth again, but wrestled it back to the corner of his mind, her eyes showing the panic in her voice. He began to say something, anything, to try to calm Beth, but Joe interrupted him.

“What’s a matter, hot lips?” His pet name for her had the men chuckling in an unnerving way, and Beth stepped closer to Daryl, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“The men who took me came back not too long ago. I don’t know how many of them there are, or when they’ll be back. I’m surprised they haven’t come back down the drive yet. They must be trying to put out the fire.”

“That or they got swarmed by biters,” said one of the men. Beth wasn’t sure which.

“If that’s the case, we need to am-scray,” decided Joe. He was right – either the group was soon going to be surrounded by walkers or her abductors – and Beth didn’t want to wait around to find out which would get there first.

They began to walk down the road, the same way they came. Beth kept her arm around Daryl’s waist. She told herself it was because her ankle was still giving her trouble, but deep down it was because she felt safer the closer she got to him. As they walked, she felt Daryl’s gaze drop down to her and she glanced up at him. A half smile pulled one corner of his mouth up before he began looking at the rest of the group, and the smile faded again. Beth felt his arm come around her shoulders, drawing her even closer.

They had been walking a good mile or so before Daryl broke the silence between him and Beth. He was careful to keep his voice soft, not wanting to include the group in this particular conversation. “So what happened?”

Beth looked up at him, seeing his concern as his eyes raked over her face, his gaze landing on the bruises on her cheeks, then shook her head and lowered her gaze to the road beneath her feet. “I don’t really remember much. One minute, I was standing in front of the funeral home. I had just opened my bag, looking for my flashlight and then...black. Next thing I knew I was bound and gagged in the basement in that house.” She brought her hand up and showed Daryl her wrist, still red and chafed from her escape just hours ago. Daryl gripped her hand and turned it, carefully examining what damage had been done. Beth could see a scowl start to take over his features, then saw him work to control his expression, trying to stay calm...for her. She continued, “I got myself loose, found some scissors and a letter opener, and waited for them to come get me. A great big guy came down to...”she trailed off, inwardly shuddering at what could have happened. She looked up at Daryl again, his eyes already on hers.

“My god, what’s this girl been through?” Daryl thought angrily. “I should have been there with her. I could have saved her from all of this.” The knot in his gut tightened more than before, his pulse quickened with anger at the sons of bitches that had hurt her. It took all the strength he had to stay calm for her, but he wanted to go and find each one of these fuckers and take them all down. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing mind and pulse; he closed his eyes tight before looking down at her again. “Did he...?”

Beth shook her head, her ponytail grazing the back of his arm. “No, Daryl. I’m alright. He hit me a couple times, and got real close to...” she took a breath. “I got him before he could get me.” She smiled, but there was a sadness behind it. “I kept the rope they had used on me and used it right back on him. I killed him.” Her voice had grown so quiet, Daryl had to strain to hear it.

“I’m sorry you had to do that, Beth. I shoulda been there to take care a’ you. You shouldn’t’a been in that situation at all. If I’d’ve...”

“It’s okay Daryl. I remembered what you taught me. I don’t like having done it, but I’m almost glad I did. It’s weird. I’m sorry I killed him, but I’m not sorry he’s dead. He was a monster.” She shivered again against Daryl. They walked on a few moments in silence before she began again. “I went through and searched the house. Found some food, a knife, a lighter. They had rooms...bedrooms...they...” her words trailed off again as she fought back the images coming back to her memory. “Daryl, it was awful. I don’t know who those men are, but I know what they’re capable of. Maybe you’re right...maybe there aren’t any good people left...”

Daryl shook his head. “Naw, girl. Yer still here,” the words came out before he could stop them, wincing at how they sounded. He didn’t mind saying the words to Beth, but didn’t want the others to think he was soft. He had an idea of what these men were capable of, too, and didn’t want them to take advantage of any kind of weakness, especially if that weakness had anything to do with Beth. He glanced around, noticing that none of the others had reacted, and shook his head, almost laughing to himself. “So ya had ta set the place on fire, huh?”

Beth grinned up at him. “Yeah...the house reminded me of the farm. I didn’t want them to have anything that nice. And I was hopin’ you would’a seen it. Guess it worked, huh?”

Daryl couldn’t help be grin back at her. “Yeah, girl. It did. Was good thinkin’.” They walked together a few more yards when he asked, “How’s yer ankle?”

“It still hurts, but it’s not as bad as at the funeral home. I’m just gonna hafta suck it up an’ deal, huh?” She wasn’t quite limping on it, but it was still too painful to put her full weight on that foot.

“Ya wanna ‘nother piggy back?” Daryl winked at her.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll manage,” she replied with a slight giggle. She actually wouldn’t have minded accepting the offer, but thought better of it in present company. Instead she readjusted her grip on Daryl’s waist. “So...” her voice dropped to just above a whisper, “who are these guys?”

The lightness in his voice and on his face faded instantly. Daryl murmured back, “These guys found me at the train tracks a couple miles down this road. I couldn’t find anything showing which way you went past that point, and just...stopped.” He felt like an ass. He’d given up on her. She was fighting for her life, killing to survive, and he’d given up at the first real obstacle. What the hell kind of man was he?

“So...how’d you get mixed up with them?” Beth asked him. There was no accusation in her voice at all. The knot in Daryl’s stomach twisted tighter. She was so damned good...too good for him. He could never be worthy of her. His head dropped a little lower as he tried not to dwell on himself, concentrating on Beth and her safety.

“Joe...he’s the older guy up ahead...he’s the leader. He said he wanted me to help hunt and track. Guess some assho...ahem...some guy killed one of the group and split, so now they’re all lookin’ for him for revenge or somethin’. So I guess, since he helped me find you, I’m s’posed ta help find this...guy.”

Beth got quiet at that. She was more than thrilled to be back with Daryl. He may not realize it, but he had saved her life in that house, just by her remembering his training. She could see he was upset about something, something more than just being with this group. He had started to lighten up, to joke with her like he had so briefly at the funeral home, but he was quickly returning to his older, more indifferent self. She had the suspicion that it had something to do with her, and with the group, but she couldn’t quite nail it down. She knew Daryl, though, knew he was a good man; that his heart was in the right place. He just found himself in really crappy situations. She’d gotten through to him once; she knew she could crack through his tough exterior again. Beth also knew Daryl wasn't exactly happy with this group, but he'd made a bargain of sorts with them. In her eyes, it only proved how good a man he was. He wouldn't go back on his word, even if it was given to men like these. Her heart tightened at the thought.

Daryl spoke again after a few minutes, bringing Beth back from her worrying about him. “They’re an alright group. Joe’s got his rules, and they work for the group, I guess. If ya want somethin’, ya claim it. That makes it hands off to everyone else.” His memory flitted back to when Beth first appeared out of the bushes. Thinking back, he wished he’d have claimed her loud enough for all these assholes to hear it. He had been feeling their wayward glances landing on the pair of them...mostly on her. His grip on her shoulder tightened slightly in response. “And no lying. Break a rule and risk a beating...one helluva beating.” He recalled seeing Len’s lifeless, broken body when they left the garage two days ago and fought a shudder.

Eventually the group wound up at the railroad tracks again and resumed their course towards Terminus. Their pace had picked up considerably from the past couple days, wanting to make up for lost time. Beth and Daryl fell to the back of the group, taking their time on the uneven ties so as not to further injure her ankle. After what felt like hours, they saw a sign up ahead, written on the side of a power box:

“GLENN, GO TO TERMINUS, MAGGIE”

Daryl looked down at Beth, her eyes agape at the message. He saw it all over her face – she was elated at the proof that her sister was still alive, or at least had been not too long ago. He couldn’t help but feel her excitement, but a shadow crossed through his mind. What about Beth? Why wasn’t Maggie looking for her sister? Daryl grumbled to himself, angry at the older Greene girl. He shot Beth a look, and sadly watched her face fall, mentally kicking himself. He brought his index finger up to his lips and shook his head, and she took the hint. They didn’t know how well they could trust this group, and it’d be best not to give them any information until they could trust them with it.


	7. Chapter 7

The sun had started its descent towards the horizon again. Joe figured they had a couple hours left of good light to hunt for tonight’s meal before night fell on them. They veered off the tracks into the woods to set up camp and start gathering wood for a fire and start working on finding food. Daryl couldn’t decide what to do. Beth needed to rest her ankle, but he sure as hell wasn’t leaving her here to fend for herself while he went to find their dinner. He stood there in the camp, wavering between his two options and coming up with nothing.

“Daryl?”

His eyes snapped down to Beth, perched next to a moss-covered log, her bad ankle stretched out in front of her. She gently smiled at him and patted the ground next to her. He took her suggestion, not able to come up with any kind of plan for the moment anyway.

“Sshhh...dinner’s on me tonight.” She opened her bag and revealed the packet of beef jerky, the cans of fruit, and the peanut butter. She pulled out a bottle of water and offered it to Daryl. 

He took it from her, their fingers brushing just slightly, and began sipping, trying to make it last. She handed him a large piece of jerky and he discretely started chewing on it. Beth followed suit. Even if the rest of the men were out looking for their own food, he didn’t want someone to wander back and see him and Beth and expect a hand out.

The salty meat tasted like a rib-eye steak to Daryl – much better than the usual roasted squirrel or rabbit they usually had. A low groan escaped from his throat. Beth felt her pulse flutter ever so slightly at the sound...so dark and masculine and...primal. She offered him another piece and he gladly accepted. He felt himself start to relax again, slipping back into the peaceful silence he was accustomed to when he was with her. She reached into her bag again and pulled out the peanut butter. While it certainly wasn’t his favorite, it was something. He scooped his finger into the jar, pulled it up to his mouth, and sucked the peanut butter off with a loud smack, making Beth giggle. 

Her eyes landed on his mouth and she smiled. “You got some in your beard,” she softly laughed. “Hold still.” She brought her thumb up to his chin, wiping at the offending stickiness. The rest of her hand rested on his cheek, and he involuntarily leaned into her palm, prolonging the touch as long as he could. Her breath caught in her throat at the action. She started to pull away slightly, but Daryl’s hand reached up and covered hers, gently. His lips wrapped around her thumb, his tongue licking the peanut butter, creating just the slightest pressure of suction. Her heart all but stopped, her breath came in heavy gasps.

Their eyes locked onto each other’s. Daryl’s left hand reached across to Beth’s cheek, his thumb grazing the fading mark left there by that son of a bitch. He leaned over and brushed his lips across the bruises on one cheek, then the other, lightly, before placing a kiss on her forehead. He rested his own forehead against the same spot and breathed deeply, trying to control what he wanted to do next. His heart was all but leaping out of his chest for this girl, this woman, next to him. “Stupid,” he reprimanded himself, “why the hell would she even go for someone like you? Get over this stupid thing, whatever the hell it is.” Was it a crush? Was it love? He resigned himself to never finding out, trying to quash any feelings for her back to the dark recesses of his heart.

Her voice cut through his inner tirade, though it sounded much lower than it had a moment earlier. “Daryl? Are you okay?” She sounded genuinely concerned for him.

Daryl leaned back to look her in the eye; hers were bright and gleaming up at him. “Yeah. Yeah, ‘m fine.” He went to pull his hand away, but her hand stopped his, much like he had done to her. 

“Daryl, don’t do that. Don’t pull away from me again. What is it?” She wrapped her fingers around his and pulled his hand to her lap, holding his hand there in hers, lightly stroking her thumb across his knuckles.

“’S nothin’” he grumbled, leaning against the log, breaking contact with her beautiful green eyes. He knew that being this close to her, with her batting her eyelashes at her the way she would, he’d be helpless against her, and he wasn’t about to go down that road. 

“Bullshit!” she said, anger creeping into her usually soft voice. It half startled Daryl to hear her curse at him, but he couldn’t help but smirk at her. “Talk to me,” she lowered her voice again, trying to soothe him into opening up to her.

“Beth, I...I can’t do this. I’ll stay with you and protect you, but I can’t...” he stopped short, looking at his hand in hers. 

“What are you talking about? You can’t what? Daryl, we’ve both fought so hard to find each other again. What’s the matter?”

“I’m no good for ya. I’ll look after ya, keep you outta trouble, outta danger, but I just can’t...” and his words quit in his mouth again.

“You just can’t...what?” Beth prodded, bringing her hands to his face, forcing him to look into her eyes. She knew he didn’t like opening up like this, but that was just too bad. She needed to hear what had him acting so moody. He was worked up over something, and she wanted to relieve him of whatever it was that was hurting him.

His eyes finally met hers. He took a deep, steadying breath, held it for a second, and released it again. He tried again, trying not to let his anger seep into his words. She didn’t deserve to put up with that kind of treatment from him. “I can’t be anything more to ya. I can’t do this holdin’ hands and kissin’ ya. I can’t even deal with myself right now. Ya deserve better than me, girl. I wasn’t nothin’ ‘fore all this happened, and   
I’m still nothin’. I’ll get ya back ta Maggie, and then...”

“Daryl Dixon! How can you even say that?!?” Beth all but screeched at him, mindful of keeping her voice low so as not to scare off any prey for the hunters...or to attract anything towards them. “How can you think you’re nothing? Look at all you’ve done for me!”

“I gave up on ya! I couldn’t pick which way ta go, so I just gave up! I left y’alone and just took up with the next group that came along”

Beth saw how this was really eating him up inside. “Yes, but you came back for me.” She could see the pain behind his eyes. She shifted to look him straight in the face, pulling her knees up under her so her eyes were level with his. She placed both hands firmly on his shoulders, but kept her voice soft and soothing. “Daryl...I don’t blame you for what happened to me. You made sure I got out of the funeral home, away from the walkers. How was either of us to know those guys were going to be waiting for me. The whole time we were at that house we thought it was too good to be true, and it was, but that’s not your fault. I let my guard down when I got to the road. I should have seen them coming. 

It was because of you I survived when they took me. I used what you taught me to get the hell out of there, to take care of myself. If you hadn’t been waiting at the bottom of that hill, I’d probably still be sitting there, wondering where to go, and they likely would have found me again and done God knows what to me. But you were there. There to rescue me again. Don’t you get it? I feel safest when I’m with you.” With that, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled in close to him, curling her face into his neck. She inhaled and smelled that scent that was so uniquely Daryl. She exhaled with a sigh. “I’m nothing without you. I’d be nothing without you.” 

Daryl sat, near shell-shocked, for half a moment, then slowly brought his arms to wrap around Beth’s tiny waist. He tightened his hold on her, bringing her into his lap, and just held her, breathing her in. He felt Beth relax in his arms, starting to lean back against his hands, and look him in the face again. Her hands stayed behind his neck, her fingers threading through his hair, applying just the slightest pressure, pulling his mouth toward hers.

“Hey Daryl!” one of the men called to him from across the camp. “I caught me a couple squirrels. I’ll share mine if you share yours.” He had an eerie grin plastered on his face and wiggled his eyebrows menacingly.  
Daryl glowered at him, shooting daggers at him with his eyes. “No fucking way, Tim. Back the fuck off,” he growled. He wasn’t sure if he was more pissed about Tim’s ruining the moment, or at the comment he’d just made.

“Aight, man...aight. Just thought I’d offer. You lemme know if ya change yer mind.” Tim plopped down across from them.

Daryl tightened his grip on Beth’s hips, just for a second, before begrudgingly removing her from his lap. He went to stand up, offering his hand to help her up, making sure she was steady on her weak ankle. “C’mon. Nature’s calling.” Whether she had to go or not, Daryl decided Beth was coming with him. No way in hell he was leaving her alone with that creepy mother fucker. He shouldered his crossbow as Beth closed her bag and strapped it on her back. Daryl kept hold of her hand as they wandered into the woods. He felt better with her this close, especially now that they’d cleared the air somewhat. As they walked, they’d spotted a couple other of the men on their way back to camp, Tony and Chester. Both men looked Beth up and down unashamedly, leering after her, their intent far from hidden on their faces. He looked down at the girl by his side. She had seen their looks, too, and looked up at him worriedly. His mind was made up. 

“Beth, we gotta get outta here. We gotta get away from these guys. I don’t like the looks they been given ya.”

“I take it they didn’t look at you like that when you first joined them?” she asked, trying to get one of those half-smiles she loved so much. It worked, and she smiled back at him.

“No...but I’m not as cute as you.” He grinned again as he saw the blush creep over her cheeks and down her neck. “You wait right here. Don’t move from this spot.” He placed her back against a tree and started to walk away.

“Where’re you goin’?” Beth asked alarmingly.

“I told ya. Nature’s callin.” He grinned over his shoulder as he continued to behind a bush maybe 20 feet away from her. He didn’t need the privacy, per se, but didn’t think she needed to actually see all that. When he turned around to head back to her, he didn’t see her. His head swiveled around, searching, and he called out to her. “Beth!”

“What?” she answered, her head coming up from behind a shrub.

“What the hell, Beth? I said don’t move!”

“Nature apparently has more than one phone line.”

Daryl stared at her, gob smacked, then started out right laughing at her. They walked toward each other, stopping when they were face to face.

“So what’s the plan, Mr. Dixon?” Beth asked. “Where do we go from here?”

He knew what she was asking. How the hell was he going to get her away from these men? He had to act soon. A tiny part of him felt bad about going back on his promise to help Joe find...whoever it was they were looking for. He’d never gone back on his word before, especially not when it was given to someone who had helped him...not that there had been many of those kinds of people. Beth’s safety came first, though, that was for certain. He couldn’t ask her to stay with these men any longer than was necessary, and the way they were eyeballing her as if she was a piece of steak all the damn time, it was past being necessary. Claim or no claim, he didn’t trust these assholes any farther than he could throw them.

“I’ll think of something. Tomorrow night is my turn to keep watch. We could leave then, but then we risk them coming after us and...well, you remember what I said happens if you break a rule?” Beth nodded at him, her eyes frightened at the thought. “That’s only if they can find us, mind you. I could try and cover our tracks. We’ll need to find some kind of shelter for ourselves, and quick. We’ll figure it out...we have before.”

“Could we just keep following the train tracks? If Maggie’s headed to Terminus...”

Daryl cut her off, “We ain’t goin’ ta Terminus. All who arrive survive? Sounds way too good to be true. Besides, do you wanna go where they’ll let just anybody in?”

“I guess not,” Beth said, and Daryl could hear the disappointment in her voice. “But, if we follow the tracks, surely they’ll lead through a city or something. We could find shelter there, right?”

Daryl regarded her, proud of her to be thinking ahead like that. “Yeah, I guess yer right. Alright, here’s what we’ll do...”


	8. Chapter 8

Later that night, the fire was starting to die down. Chester was getting ready to take the first watch of the night. Daryl hadn’t found any blankets or sleeping bags to make the nights any more comfortable, and Beth only had the few extra clothes that happened to be in her rucksack, so they were both roughing it on the cold hard ground. Never wanting her out of his sight – or reach – Daryl offered the spot next to him to Beth, and she shyly accepted. He laid down by the same moss-covered log they had sat near earlier, turning his back to it. He stretched out his right arm, his hand resting on his crossbow, and positioned his ear against his shoulder. Beth sat down, then stretched out next to him, her back to the fire, and laid her head on his bicep. Her arms were curled up to her chest, her delicate fingers tracing along the seams of his vest. Their knees kept knocking into each other as they both tried to get comfortable until finally they relaxed, letting their legs rest against each other.

Daryl brought his left hand up to brush a loose hair from Beth’s face. She looked up at him meekly, painfully aware of how close their bodies were, and felt a shiver, but not from the cold. On the contrary, she could feel herself warming up in Daryl’s arms, not sure where these feelings were coming from, but not fighting them either. When her eyes caught his, she swallowed the dryness out of her mouth and softly whispered, “Daryl?”

“Yeah?” He couldn’t pull his eyes away from her. She was so damned beautiful, especially now with the low fire light dancing behind her, with her so close to him. He tried his hardest to control his breathing, and was having a hell of a time with it.

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

“No need to be. This’ll work. I gotcha. We’ll be fine.” He tried to sound reassuring, but truth be told, he was worried they’d be able to pull this off, too.

“I know. Still, just nervous. I hate the idea of staying with these...these...” they weren’t men, and animals weren’t this creepy. Each one of them was giving off a very bad vibe that Beth could feel surrounding her.

“Ass hats?” Daryl offered.

She smiled at that. “Yes. Total ass hats.” He returned her smile.

“Don’t worry, girl. I won’t let ‘em get to ya.” He wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her close to him, hoping to keep her warm as well as secure. He ran his hand lightly up and down her back, trying to   
get her to relax, to get some sleep. They wouldn’t be sleeping much the next night, so she needed to rest up now.

A few quiet moments went by. He could hear the other men starting to doze off. He was reaching that point, too. Again he heard her, “Daryl?”

“Yeah?” He wasn’t upset in the least. Well, maybe a little upset that she wasn’t getting sleep yet, but he loved hearing that sweet voice say his name, especially now that he was so literally wrapped up with her.  
“Thank you,” she replied, adjusting herself to get a little more comfortable and, he noticed, a little closer to him.

“Fer what?”

“For just being you.” She wrapped her right arm under his leather jacket and around his back, pulling him into a weak hug and running her fingers lightly up and down his back.

Daryl looked down at her as she looked up at him again. Their faces were dangerously close. Good Lord, he wanted to kiss her, but didn’t trust himself enough to be able to pull away. He just closed his eyes tight and fought for control.

Suddenly he felt her lips barely graze against his, just one soft, swift peck was all it was. His eyes snapped open to find her looking up at him through her eyelashes. He took a minute to reel in his gut reaction to haul off and kiss her with everything he had in him, but it was apparently a minute too long, because he felt her lips on him again, just a little more pressure than before, just a few seconds longer. That did it.

He leaned down to press his lips against hers, lightly, but locking them to her sweet mouth. He felt her start to kiss him back. He ran his fingers from her back, to her hip, up her arm to her shoulder, before finally resting along her neck, her jaw, his thumb landing on her cheek. He increased the pressure against her lips, fighting like hell to keep control. His right arm bent, bringing his hand up to wrap around her shoulders, drawing her even closer.

His tongue gently slid along her bottom lip, and her mouth opened immediately to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Their tongues tasted and twisted around each other, neither seemed to be able to get enough. A delicate sigh escaped from her saccharine lips that almost did him in. He grasped at what little control he had left and pulled away, reluctantly breaking the connection between them. The look on her face almost broke his heart, but he knew he had to do it.

He pressed one more soft kiss to her lips, then to cheek, her temple, before resting his lips against her ear and murmuring, “Soon, baby. Soon. Get some sleep.”

“Fat chance,” she replied sardonically. He chuckled at this, took a deep breath, and started to release her from his grip. She never moved away from him, which he had to admit, he appreciated. He noticed her breathing start to even out, then to slow, until she was unmistakably asleep in his arms. He pressed one last kiss to her forehead before closing his own eyes and nodding off to sleep.

XXXXX

The next day was uneventful for the most part. Daryl and Beth kept up with the group, though continued to trail further and further behind. Beth seemed to be having difficulty walking, making the others believe her ankle was not as steady as she had let on yesterday. Other than that, business carried on as usual, stopping to refill their water when they came to a brook, grabbing a few handfuls of berries each as a small snack on the go, taking notice of the signs for Terminus. They made little progress, thanks to Beth dragging behind. Daryl offered for them to go on ahead, that they would be able to catch up, but Joe wasn’t hearing it.

Beth could feel the lurid glances the men kept shooting her way, but now she noticed they were both creepy and angry, and she did not like that combination at all. She gripped Daryl’s hand, and he squeezed back, trying to be reassuring. “Ankle still hurtin’ ya?”

“Yeah. I must’ve stepped just right on it or something. Not sure what happened. It was doing better yesterday.” She made sure her words would carry so the rest of the group would hear.

“Ya probably just over-worked it, ‘s all. We need ta get you off it for a while.”

Joe called over his shoulder, “We ain’t stoppin’. We got some miles ahead of us to go while it’s still daylight. You best start hoppin’ or healin’, I don’t much care which, but you’ve slowed us down enough.”

Beth could tell they were testing Joe’s patience, and didn’t want to tempt fate any more than they needed to. She looked at Daryl worriedly. Daryl fought to keep the smirk off his face. This was going perfectly with their plan. He moved his crossbow to lie across his chest, then bent over, silently offering Beth a piggy back ride. Her arms wrapped loosely around his neck, her thighs just above his hips. He tried to push the memories of last night’s kiss to the back of his mind, with little luck, and his imagination began to come up with thoughts...like what if Beth and the crossbow traded places? He shook his head, focusing on selling her hurt ankle to the group, even grumbling a little just to try to convince them.

Even with Beth on his back, Daryl was able to keep up with the group better, and he could feel the tension in the group start to recede. After a few more hours, Joe decided it was time to start setting up camp again. They veered off the train tracks and headed into the woods. Daryl took out his hunting knife and cut a mark into the trees they passed, trying his best to be inconspicuous. Gladly, no one noticed what he was doing. They came to a level spot amidst a circle of trees that the group decided was good enough to spend the night in. Daryl carefully let Beth down onto the ground and helped her over to a spot on the edge of the circle.

Now came the scariest part of the plan. Even though Beth still had the cans of fruit and an unopened pack of jerky hidden in her bag, they couldn’t guarantee they’d have many chances to find more food after they left the group, meaning Daryl had to go hunting tonight. He hated leaving her here, even if the other men were hunting, too. There were just too many variables. He handed his larger hunting knife to Beth for protection, then bent over and kissed her, hard, in front of the rest of the group. He pulled away abruptly and glared at the men around him, hoping his actions were speaking clearly – “The girl is claimed. Hands off.”

With that, he shouldered his crossbow and headed off with the hope that he could find a squirrel or a bunny or two, and quickly, so he could return to Beth. He walked with his hunter’s tread, careful not to make unnecessary noise. His thoughts kept returning to her...to that golden hair, that smile that lit up his world, those eyes that saw all of him, inside and out. His focus snapped back as he saw two walkers shambling toward him. He reached for his knife before remembering that he had left it with her. He instead raised his crossbow, already loaded with a bolt, and fired, easily taking out one of them, then rearing back to swing the butt of the crossbow against the other walker’s skull. Satisfied they were dead...again...he bent down to pull the bolt out of the first walker’s head, wiped it off on the tattered clothing, and reloaded the crossbow. He hoped Beth’s time at camp was less eventful.

XXXXX

After a few hours, Beth’s ears pricked up at the sound of someone returning. Hoping it was Daryl, she spun toward the sound, only to see that creep, Tim, followed closely by Joe. She automatically had her guard up, feeling slightly better at Joe’s arrival, hoping he would at least keep Tim in check until Daryl got back. She didn’t miss the gawking stare Tim sent her way, nor the unnerving smile that accompanied it. She worked to keep any expression from showing on her face. A smile would only encourage him, but so would any fear that showed. Luckily, both Joe and Tim set to work cleaning their kills and settling in for the night.

One by one the men returned, each commenting on what food they’d found and where. As they all began to settle in, Beth felt more and more stares shot her way. Daryl still hadn’t returned and she was getting very nervous. She focused on trying not to attract any more attention to herself, though each minute that passed without Daryl’s return proved it didn’t matter what she did or didn’t do. The group of men looked at her hungrily. She kept her eyes on the trees around her, not daring to make eye contact with any of them. She had Daryl’s knife tight in one hand, and had palmed the pair of scissors in the other.

“Hey girlie. Whatcha lookin’ so nervous for?” Her eyes shot up at the sound. Apparently Chester had kept quiet long enough. “Worried yer man left ya? Don’t you worry, sweet thing. Me and the boys’ll take good care ‘a ya.” The rest of the men began chuckling menacingly. They all seemed to have the same thing on their minds, and Beth wanted no part of it. Rather than responding, she just returned her view to the trees,   
praying Daryl was on his way back soon.

“Hey, bitch, he’s talking to you.” Tony stood up and took a step toward her. She tried like hell to keep her composure, but felt her cheeks and ears redden. “Don’t be fuckin’ rude. Here we took your ass into our group, no questions, and you ain’t contributed at all. You done nothin' but slow us down. Seems to me it’s time for a little payback.” He stepped around the fire towards Beth’s spot on the outer rim of the circle. Her breathing quickened, hoping she wouldn’t have to fight for her life again. “Daryl, where are you?” she worried to herself. She heard the rest of the men starting to get restless.

Joe spoke up, half-heartedly. “Come on now, boys. Play nice.”

“Oh, I’ll play nice, alright.” Tony made his way to her, wrapped his hands around her upper arms and dragged her to a standing position. Beth kept her gaze on her feet, not wanting her eyes to betray just how terrified she was. “Come on, ya little slut. Let’s see what’s so damned good that Daryl thinks he can keep all to himself.”

Beth’s arms were trapped at her side; she couldn’t use the knife on Tony if she wanted to, the way his fingers were digging into her arms. She could feel his breath on her cheek, dangerously close. She refused to look up at him; he dropped one arm and brought his hand up as if to strike her. She braced for impact.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” Daryl appeared to her right, crossbow armed and ready, pointed straight at Tony’s head. She couldn’t relax just yet, but her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice.

“Seems I’m already touchin’ ‘er. What the fuck you gonna do about it?” Tony snarled.

“You want me to tell you or just show you? Let her the fuck go.” Daryl was positively growling, his aim still trained directly at Tony.

Beth started to struggle away from Tony, not brave enough to raise either weapon with all these men so riveted on to what was happening in front of them. She knew if she tried anything, it’d be her and Daryl against the rest of them, and she didn’t like those odds. Tony suddenly broke his hold on her arm, causing her to fall to the ground. The group broke out in vicious laughter as she picked herself up, remembering to favor her hurt ankle, and thankful she hadn’t landed on either weapon she was holding. She hobbled over to Daryl and stood behind him; he kept his bow ready to fire.

Joe tried to reason between Daryl and the group. “Alright, let’s just everyone calm down. The boys were just havin’ a little fun. Can’t say I blame ‘em. You been rubbin’ this girl in our faces the past couple days, an’ we aren’t supposed to react? Claimed or no, that’s just damn cruel.”

“Don’t seem like he’s ‘claimed’ her anyway. He’s wound tighter than a god damn spring, and she’s too damn innocent to have done anything.” Tim retorted. “You ain’t hit that yet, have ya?” Daryl didn’t reply except to tighten his grip on his crossbow. Beth couldn’t stop the blush from creeping up her face. “Thought so,” Tim acknowledged.

“Don’t matter what I do with her. She’s supposed to be fucking hands off. What the hell are the rules for if ya ain’t gonna follow ‘em?” Daryl was ready to unload on all of them. He wished, not for the first time, that he had a pistol, something that loaded faster than his crossbow.

“Settle down, there, Daryl. Ain’t no one hurt,” Joe said, trying to defuse the situation. “Tony, back off, leave ‘em alone. Everyone just relax. Daryl, I’m takin’ you off watch duty tonight. Tim, Tony, you two up for it?”

“I’ll keep the watch duty. Don’t want no one to say I don’t contribute,” Daryl spat out, revealing just how much he’d heard from Tony’s conversation earlier.

“I’ll stay up with him, too,” Beth piped up, causing a few of the men to snicker at her suggestion. She stepped out from behind Daryl and shot them all a steely glare. She took a breath to steady her nerves. She had to sell this. “What? Just ‘cause I’m a girl I can’t fight? Well, fuck you all! Did you forget I got out of that hell house on my own? That I survived out there before? I’m standing watch with Daryl, dammit!” She was shaking, not with fear, but obvious anger at the men.

“Alright, little lady, alright. Good luck to ya,” Joe said condescendingly with a smirk. “Boys, let’s hit the hay. We got some miles to catch up on tomorrow. Get some shut eye.” With that the men split off to their own areas, grumbling at losing their chance at a little excitement tonight, whether from a fight or anything else involving the young girl.

As the group dispersed, Daryl lowered his bow and regarded the young woman at his side. He nudged her with his arm to get her attention and mouthed, “Ya did good.” She soundlessly responded, “Thank you.” He nodded approvingly at her. Together they silently made their way to stoke the fire to cook up Daryl’s offering for dinner. He’d managed to bag 3 squirrels and 2 rabbits – more than enough food to last the two of them through the night and probably the next day. This also meant they wouldn’t have to spend time hunting, giving them more time to get away.

Beth knew it was necessary for Daryl to find the extra food, but hated him being gone for so long. She was glad nothing had happened to either of them, but things had gotten too close for comfort with these guys. She could feel herself relax a little as the sounds of their snores became more pronounced. Soon it’d be time for them to make their break for it. She couldn’t get out of there soon enough.


	9. Chapter 9

Beth was too nervous to eat, but managed to force more than a couple bites down. She knew she’d need her strength, and there was no telling when their next meal would be. She felt herself shiver, partially from nervousness, partially from excitement, but mostly because a strong wind had picked up. She could almost smell the rain in the air. As she looked around at the group, she watched the men. Thankfully they were all still asleep, but their sleep was becoming restless with the sudden drop in temperature. “Shit,” she thought to herself, and glanced anxiously at Daryl. The look on his face showed that he had noticed, too. Wordlessly, he grabbed some sticks and added them to the dwindling fire, hoping it would be enough to stave off the chill in the air, at least long enough to afford them a chance at escape.

Once the fire was burning brightly again, Daryl stood up and silently finished preparing to leave. He had packed as much extra weight into the backpack that he could find, including some rocks Beth had found around the campsite, just in case. He had pulled out the long sleeved shirt that they had found in the rucksack for Beth to wear; it would help protect her from the elements, but it was also a drab color that would help conceal her in the forest. Any advantage he could give them would help. He made sure Beth’s ankle was wrapped well and her boots were tied tightly. Beth swore her ankle was doing fine, but Daryl wouldn’t take any chances, especially when it came to her safety. He had already left her to fend for herself more than he liked, and didn’t want to tempt fate any more than he had to.

Daryl looked down at Beth, who had followed his lead and stood next to him. “Ya ready?” he asked softly.

“About as ready as I’m gonna be,” she replied, trying to hide the shakiness in her voice. She hoped her smile would make her look less nervous than she really was. The look on Daryl’s face indicated otherwise.

“Hey…”He put his warm hands on her shoulders and rubbed up and down her upper arms, trying to be supportive. “It’s gonna be okay. You remember what yer lookin’ for?” She nodded up at him, her eyes betraying just how apprehensive she was about actually doing this. 

Beth ducked her head under his chin and wrapped her arms around him. He couldn’t help but reciprocate the action, pulling her close to him. She felt him pull away slightly, and without thinking, he leaned down and kissed her, softly. He felt the slightest pressure of her returning the kiss. He released his hold on her and immediately sought her bright green eyes again. “Alright, Greene. Let’s get to it,” he whispered. She took a shaky breath and nodded up at him. It was now or never.

Daryl shouldered his crossbow and Beth’s rucksack. They wanted to weigh Daryl down as much as they could so it would look like he was actually carrying Beth on his back as he had earlier in the day. He would have to stomp around in order for his tracks to look convincing; there was no way they could fit enough rocks to match Beth’s weight into the bag. Still, every little bit would help. 

He nodded at Beth and she wordlessly withdrew her knife and flashlight, and began walking toward the opposite side of the campsite, closest to the train tracks. He watched as she began moving awkwardly through the brush and bramble. He saw her stagger around a little, not walking in a straight line at all. He hoped to God this would work. She had been learning how to track from Daryl, and could identify walker tracks. Now he just prayed she could reproduce them accurately enough. He saw the beam from her flashlight light up the bark of the trees. Daryl knew he had to trust her, though he couldn’t stop from worrying about her. Reluctantly, he turned away from her and headed off in the opposite direction. He had more ground to cover, and wanted to be sure Beth wouldn’t be waiting for him for long.

He began stomping away, not following any precise path. Normally he’d be careful not to disturb the bushes or branches that crossed his path, but this time he wanted to leave a definite trail, wanting the rest of the group to follow him rather than Beth. Daryl fought the urge to rush. If he ran, like he wanted to, they would know he wasn’t really carrying Beth. He had to keep his pace relatively slow in order to make it look convincing.

He kept a relatively straight course through the trees, aiming for the stream he had found earlier. Hopefully Joe and his boys would think they’d waded through the water so they wouldn’t leave any more tracks...and they’d be right. Daryl would use the rocky creek bed to cover his trail as he continued his roundabout way back to Beth.

After reaching the stream, Daryl headed north, upstream. Now he could pick up the pace. He could also lighten his load a little, scattering the rocks in the bag here and there as he walked. He finally reached his checkpoint, where he had left a large, leafy branch, maybe a mile from where he first started walking through the stream. The branch would help in covering his wet tracks. He began heading northeast, still in the direction of the train tracks, but also leading away from the campsite. He could afford to move more quickly than before now, and was careful to not disturb the foliage as he had before. He knew Joe’s men weren’t the best trackers – that’s why they needed Daryl’s help to find the man they were after – but they’d be able to pick up obvious signs like he’d been leaving earlier. Daryl was confident he’d be able to hide his trail from them well enough. 

It was well over an hour, maybe two, when Daryl reached the train tracks again. Careful to tread only on the wooden railroad ties so he wouldn’t leave footprints in the dirt and gravel that lay between the beams, he made his way back south. He walked the distance to where they had left the train tracks earlier, marked by a large honeysuckle plant on the edge of the woods. He glanced around, but couldn’t find Beth. He distinctly remembered telling her to wait by the flowering bush for him, that it would provide enough cover from walkers or anything else that came her way. 

He forced himself to be patient for five, maybe ten minutes, before panic began to set in. What the hell had happened? Where was she? 

The wind that had started up before they left began to pick up speed, and Daryl noticed the clouds moving in to cover the moon, plunging him into pitch black darkness. He was a good tracker, but he wasn’t good enough to find her in the woods in the dark. Fighting every instinct he had, he remained where he was and forced himself to sit and trust Beth to make it out on her own. He hoped it would pay off.

XXXXX

Beth did her best to stagger around convincingly through the brush and bramble. She recalled all the walkers she had seen, especially when she had helped clear the fences surrounding the prison. They all seemed to move by dragging their feet along the ground, rarely in a straight line...almost as if they were a bunch of drunks. Smelly, gruesome, hungry, decaying drunks. They also only used their arms to reach out and grab their prey, so she tried to keep her hands hanging at her sides, letting the branches that crossed her path brush against her as she moved. 

Keeping the knife in her right hand and the flashlight in her left, she silently ambled through the forest, veering left and right at random, drunkenly. Beth wanted to conserve battery power, so she only clicking it on every ten or so steps, scanning the trees. Daryl had marked a path on their way into the woods for her to follow out. She didn’t want to stay too close to his path, fearing that Joe and his group would notice the notches carved into the bark of the trees and make following them too easy. She did her best to keep the notches on her right for a while, then ventured far to her right to put the notches off on her left, even taking care to back track a little. She figured that Daryl was going the long way around, so she had time to make sure and do a thorough job. 

She had just started turning her path back toward the train tracks, when she froze, her ears picking up a sound breaking the silence. There was a slow shuffle, the definite sound of leaves and small branches being stepped on, then finally, the sound she’d come to dread most – the deathly growl of a walker. It was still a ways away from her, she could tell, off to her right. She didn’t dare turn on her flashlight while it was near her. She prayed it was only a lone straggler and not just the beginning of a herd. She readjusted her grip on the knife and focused on her steps, hoping the walker was heading in the opposite direction...towards the camp...and would leave her alone. Maybe it had smelled the campfire and was drawn to the scent of all the cooked meat.

She wasn’t so lucky. She could hear the growls getting closer though she continued her staggered walk. She had to keep it as consistent as she could, no easy task with a walker getting ever nearer. She kept up her pace as long as she dared before shuffling around and facing her “walker stalker” head on. She stood, waiting for it to close the gap between them, taking notice that the walker following her was a female who couldn’t have been much older than Beth...at least when she had died the first time. She steeled herself, then easily slid Daryl’s hunting knife into the girl’s temple, dropping her instantly.

Beth couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in herself at taking out the walker so effortlessly. However, now she was faced with a new dilemma. If Joe decided to follow her pseudo-walker tracks, they would find this twice-dead walker and know that her tracks were a fake. She wracked her brain, trying to come up with ideas, trying to think like Daryl. She couldn’t stand to risk those awful men following her and Daryl. The best thought she could muster was to follow her own tracks back the way she came and double back, a couple times if necessary. She knew Daryl would still probably have a ways to go until he made it to their meeting spot, but she was running out of time. At this rate, he’d get there before her. It couldn’t be helped, though. She had to do her part to keep them safe. She resigned herself to using the precious batteries in her flashlight to find her way back along her own tracks. Every once in a while, she would veer off course and loop back around, hoping to throw off anyone who may be following her. 

Beth continued this way until her flashlight began to flicker and dim. She hurriedly switched it off, hoping she didn’t have much further to go. She’d spent so much time backtracking, she needed a minute to remember which direction she needed to start heading. The wind that had picked earlier was blowing stronger now, and she noticed the clouds starting to move quickly in front of the moon. She needed to decide fast before she lost all her light to find Daryl’s notches in the trees. By sheer luck or the grace of God, whichever it was, she saw a marked tree just ten feet in front of her. She ambled to her left another ten paces, then veered in the direction the last notch had indicated. She wouldn’t come out exactly at their meeting spot, the honeysuckle bush, but she’d figure that out when she got back to the railroad tracks. 

Looking up ahead, she thought she saw the trees beginning to thin out just as the moon was completely covered with the swift-moving rainclouds. She kept her slow, stumbling pace, trying to keep her pounding heart from dictating her speed. She trudged along, still swerving, avoiding making a bee-line toward the forest line. She hated being away from Daryl, hated making him wait on her, hated this feeling of despair without him. It was more than just needing him for safety or protection. She needed him. The thought of being dependent on Daryl in so many ways scared and delighted her all at once. 

Her mind must have been wandering more than she realized. Realizing too late, her foot caught on a tree root and she began to fall forward, bringing her hands up to catch her fall. She wasn’t hurt, was just shook, and thankfully the knife’s handle stayed under her hand. She lay on the ground for a moment, listening to make sure she was still alone, then climbed to her feet again, being sure to clear the root this time, and continued on her way. 

The trees seemed to be thinning out as she continued her serpentine pattern, the air seemed a little less dense. She felt a slight relief knowing that she was getting close, until she felt the first sprinkling of raindrops. All things considered, it wasn’t terrible. She at least had an extra layer on to keep the chill out. Hopefully she wasn’t too far off course and would be able to find Daryl quickly and they could continue their plan without many more obstacles.

In a matter of moments, Beth finally found the edge of the woods. Though she could barely see, she felt the texture of the ground beneath her change slightly, felt the incline leading up to the railroad tracks. She remembered the last notch she had seen was on her right, so she headed that direction, careful to tiptoe on the wooden beams between the rails. It felt good to not have to drag her feet anymore. 

The rain was starting to pick up a little, big fat drops splattering the ground around her. The wonderful scent of the falling rain invaded her nostrils, mixed with the faintest trace of something flowery. She looked up hopefully, scanning the tree line for the honeysuckle bush. She had to be close. Feeling daring, she clicked on her flashlight again, scanning quickly. Not finding what (or who) she was looking for, she clicked the light off and continued down the tracks.

XXXXX

The rain hadn’t let up; in fact, it had only started to come down heavier. Daryl was getting more anxious by the second. He’d never felt so helpless. He wanted to get up and start looking for her, but with no light to help him, and no idea which direction she had wandered, he knew it’d be a better idea to just wait. He needed to trust her... and he did. She wasn’t the weak, vulnerable little girl he’d met two years ago at the farm. She wasn’t the glorified babysitter from back at the prison. She was a brand new Beth, stronger and more confident than he’d ever thought she could be. She surprised the hell out of him every day. Despite his foul mood, he couldn’t help the corners of his lips turn up just thinking about her. His smile grew as he thought about her, what they’d been through together, how she had changed him in that short time. He thought of her bright eyes, her easy smile, her soft lips against his…

He shook his head as his smile immediately returned to his customary scowl. What was he doing? This certainly wasn’t the time to think that way about her. He was her protector first of all. He had vowed to himself to keep her safe and sound. Kissing her wasn’t going to help in all that. He could easily lose himself in her sweet kisses, her warm embrace, but that only made both of them vulnerable. No, he needed to tighten that shit down. He couldn’t afford to risk losing her for any reason, especially not because of his desire for her. 

God, how he wanted her, to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. He still didn’t think he deserved to be with her. She was so far out of his league, he felt crazy for even entertaining the idea of being with her. 

But she had kissed him last night; she initiated the whole thing. Granted, he’d gone along willingly, and he’d even stopped it from going any further (man, he wanted to take it further). He wouldn’t, though. He couldn’t. Regardless of what she said, he wasn’t good enough for her. Daryl shook his head again, trying to clear his thoughts. His head and his heart were telling him two different things, and it was driving him crazy.

Just by that, he could swear he saw a flash of light off to his left. It wasn’t bright enough to be lightning. Daryl stood up and walked up the slight hill to get a clearer view down the tracks, but it didn’t do a damn bit of good with all the rain falling around him. He stayed planted in the middle of the tracks, waiting – for the rain to let up, for another flash of light, anything. He thought he heard a change in the pattern of raindrops in front of him, and squinted against the water running down his face, trying to see what caused it. 

Daryl saw another beam of light searching along the tree line, which was gone as quickly as it had appeared. He stepped toward the source, and heard the sound of raindrops landing on fabric. He couldn’t help but grin. “Took ya long enough,” his voice cut through the rain-soaked night between them.

He heard Beth’s startled gasp, then saw the beam of her flashlight ghost over him, then vanish again. He heard her light footsteps growing closer, then the sound of her knife returning to its case. He felt her fingers graze along his arms, up to his shoulders and around his neck before pulling him down for a kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

Daryl wrapped his arms around Beth, pulling her close to him. Her arms tightened around his neck; her lips parted slightly and Daryl instantly deepened the kiss, letting his tongue caress hers. He didn't think he'd ever get enough of tasting her.

They could have been there minutes or hours, holding each other, pressed against each other intimately close. Beth couldn't help but think that all those romantic movies she had watched with Maggie, the ones they usually made fun of, had all been right. Kissing the man you loved in the rain was about as romantic as you could get.

Had she really thought that? Did she love Daryl? He certainly meant a lot to her, and why wouldn't he? He had been there to protect her, and the group, at the farm house, the prison, and now that it was just them, it was clear that his priority was making sure she was taken care of. She remembered the little things he had done for her. He even made sure her first drink was worthwhile, not that damn peach schnapps. It was obvious he at least cared about her. He even suggested them staying together in that funeral home...just them.

Before Beth could really get lost in her thoughts, Daryl broke the kiss. She could swear she heard him groan as he pulled away. "We best head out. No telling if this rain will wake up Joe and the others." Reluctantly, Beth nodded in agreement. The trees were a lot thicker at the camp they had just left behind, but would they be able to block out enough rain to keep them from waking up? "C'mon, girl. Let's get goin'." He turned her in his hands to face the way she had just came, then began walking next to her. On pure impulse, she grabbed his hand, interlacing her fingers with his. She couldn't help but smile when he didn't pull away.

XXXXX

Beth and Daryl had been walking for a while along the train tracks, always mindful to keep their feet on the ties so they wouldn't leave any foot prints behind. If all went well, Joe's group wouldn't be able to follow them easily anyway, but they agreed to err on the side of caution. While the rain would help to hide any trails they had made earlier, the soft, muddy ground would cause them to leave very easily recognizable tracks. They might as well leave a neon sign saying, "They went that way!" No, they had to be especially careful now, even though it meant moving slower to keep their trail hidden in plain sight.

As they walked, the rain had let up. Beth could remember her father swearing by something passed down from his father and his father before him. Those old farmers knew a thing or two about a thing or two, he had said. Hershel had said that if it was raining little drops, it would rain all night, but if it was big, fat drops, it'd be over quickly. As per usual, the old farmers were right – the rain had stopped and the clouds began to drift by; the moon came out from its hiding place behind them and illuminated the puddles left behind. Every once in a while the wind would pick up and the drops that remained on the leaves on the trees lining their path would rain down on them.

The sky began to brighten with the impending dawn. Beth couldn't help but look over her shoulder to see if anyone had started following them. So far so good, she thought. There was no sign of anyone behind them. She knew better than to get her hopes up so early, but she couldn't help but feel her shoulders start to relax. She looked up at Daryl and saw the hardness still set in his jaw. "Just what is going on in that mind of his?" she wondered.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Beth offered. Daryl's eyes snapped down to hers. He looked upset, like something was weighing on his mind, but she couldn't decipher what it was.

"Just thinkin' is all."

"Gettin' a headache?" Beth teased. She knew she should be treading lightly. Taunting Daryl while he was lost in thought could be a slippery slope, but she needed something to break the silence. He was too quiet for too long, and she was about to apologize when he answered.

"Smart ass," he said, narrowing his eyes at her, trying to look menacing, but his grin gave him away. "Just tryin' ta figure out what ta do next. I figure we need to find some place to catch some sleep and hide out for a while."

"Is that all?" Beth prompted. The tension in his jaw had lessened some, but his shoulders still looked tight.

"All you're gonna get for a penny."

"Daryl..." she rolled her eyes at him. Beth pulled on his hand, keeping his attention. "Talk to me."

Daryl shook his head and focused his eyes back on the ground. "Nah. Later. Need ta focus on findin' some place safe."

Beth wasn't convinced, but decided to drop it. Serious Daryl wasn't easy to get to lighten up, and he did have a point. She looked back to the train tracks. Up ahead the trees seemed to open up as the tracks veered to the left. The way Daryl straightened up and looked ahead, she knew he had seen it too. Wordlessly they quickened their pace.

XXXXX

The gravel gave way to actual pavement as they neared the clearing. To their left was a small town, the main road lined with brick buildings. A few blocks down Daryl saw several cars and...was it...yes, an ice cream truck...as if the people here before had tried to circle the wagons to keep themselves safe in the center of the circle. Judging by the twice-dead walkers laying around the cars, he guessed it worked, at least for a while. He didn't see any people walking around, and didn't see many walkers either. He stopped on the tracks, facing the worn down little town, Beth siding up next to him. He looked down, seeing her small hand still enclosed in his, and grinned briefly before straightening his face and meeting Beth's gaze. "Ready to take a look around?"

Beth nodded at him and grabbed her knife out of its holster. "Let's get to it, Dixon," she said, trying to sound tough like Daryl, hoping to get a smile out of him. It more than worked; he actually laughed. He squeezed her hand one more time before releasing it, and brought his crossbow up and aimed it ahead of him, ready to shoot if needed.

They walked past the first couple buildings, figuring they'd be pretty cleared out since they were closest to the edge of town anyway, not to mention the doors were standing wide open, and that could only mean danger inside anyway. They opted for a two-story building further down the street, past the circle of cars. The windows were boarded up already, making one less thing they'd have to worry about. Daryl tried the doorknob, but it was locked. "Figures," he thought out loud. He swung the crossbow around and busted the glass in the door. There was a piece of cardboard lining the window, which Daryl knocked down to the floor, then carefully threaded his arm through the hole he had made and unlocked the knob. Beth kept her back to the door, on the lookout for any walkers coming toward the noise of the window breaking. To her relief, she didn't see anything moving.

As they entered the building, they found themselves in the hallway of an apartment building, the previous tenants' mailboxes lining one of the walls. Daryl brought his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly, then they both waited to hear anything coming from upstairs. Daryl nodded to Beth and jerked his head toward the door. She understood his meaning and closed the door quietly and relocked it. She picked up the cardboard and replaced it, hoping it made the building look as deserted as it had before. She turned back to Daryl in the dim light as he began making his way up the stairs. There were small windows running up the stairwell that provided enough light so they wouldn't trip on their way up.

When they reached the landing at the top of the stairs, Daryl whistled again, and got the same results. This building was truly abandoned. "Guess it's safe. You check this side, I'll get this side," Daryl said. Beth tried the knob on the first apartment. Locked. Of course. Daryl began his search, finding the same outcome.

Suddenly he heard Beth gasp and the unmistakable sound of a door creaking open. He swiveled around to see Beth looking at him, her eyes round with excitement, and a smile plastered on her face. He brought his crossbow up again, not taking any chances, and quickly searched the apartment, the closets, the bathroom.

Beth made her way in after him, closing and locking the front door behind her, and began looking for supplies they could use. She was in desperate need of a change of clothes – the over-sized shirt she had on was still damp and, truth be told, she wanted something much warmer than an old cotton shirt. She began to rifle through the closet in one of the bedrooms and found a comfy looking sweatshirt. Not wasting any time, she unbuttoned the wet shirt and pulled it off her shoulders. She realized her tank top was still pretty damp and clinging to her, so she peeled that off too. She had just gotten it over her head when she heard Daryl clear his throat behind her.

"Jesus, Daryl!" She shrieked as she grabbed for the sweatshirt and pulled it against her chest, turning around to face him. "You scared the crap out of me!"

Daryl looked away abashedly for a moment, staring down at the floor, then returned his gaze to her, his hooded eyes growing darker by the second, a certain determination growing there. He dropped his bow and the rucksack down at his feet with a clatter and crossed the room to stand in front of Beth. He cupped his hands around her delicate face and just looked in her big green eyes before closing his own and bringing his lips to meet hers. He kissed her lightly at first, leaving soft little kisses against her tantalizing mouth, until he felt her kiss him back. He heard her sigh against him, felt her melt into him. He pulled away slightly, resting his forehead on hers, just long enough to whisper, "God, you're beautiful," before returning to kissing her.

Her fingers dropped the sweatshirt from in front of her and pressed herself against his chest, grabbing onto the front of his shirt, anchoring herself to him. As he continued kissing her, she ran her hands up his chest, grazing over his shoulders, before making her way back southward, over his stomach, feeling the rock solid muscle beneath his shirt. She had just started fiddling with the lowest button on his shirt, had popped it through the button hole and was starting on the next one when Daryl pulled away.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't a done that." He stooped down quickly and came back up, handing her the sweatshirt. She brought it up to her chest again, but didn't put it on.

"I agree. You shouldn't have snuck up on me. But why the hell did you stop kissing me?" Beth tried to keep her voice under control. Oh, how this man did things to her. Her mind was absolutely reeling after that kiss, and her knees had turned to jelly. She was thankful the bedroom was small; if she had to take more than two steps to get to the bed to sit down, she might not have made it without falling over.

"I'm s'posed ta be protecting you, not kissing you. An' especially with you..." his voice trailed off, but he brought his hand and gestured toward her. She realized she still hadn't replaced her shirt, and quickly brought the sweatshirt over her head and put her arms in the too-big sleeves. She noticed Daryl react to her being fully clothed, but couldn't decide if it was a good or bad reaction.

"Daryl..."

"No! What the hell was I thinkin', anyway?" He turned to leave the room, and had just put his hand on the strap of his crossbow when he heard her sigh in frustration.

"Daryl, stop!" Beth said, more forcefully than she had meant to. She didn't want to scare him off, not now, not when her pulse was still racing and her lips were still tingling from being pressed against his. She worked to soften her voice, "Please come here."

As if he could deny her anything. Daryl took a deep breath, dropped the strap, and faced her again, not moving from the doorway. "Oh, that will never do," she thought, and patted the space next to her on the bed. He stepped cautiously toward her before sitting on the bed, though she noticed he had put a good arm's length of space between them. He rested his forearms on his knees and stared at the floor.

"Daryl, look at me," Beth softly pleaded. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder, expecting him to jump at her touch, and was beyond pleased when he didn't. "Well, that's something," she thought. She scooted a little closer and leaned forward, peering at him until he finally turned his head to face her, his steely blue eyes locked on hers. "Daryl, you are protecting me. Look at how far we've come, how far you've brought me. If it wasn't for your plan, we'd still be stuck with those ass hats in the woods." She didn't miss the small grin that crossed his lips, though it was probably more from her swearing than from the point she had just made. "You've done everything you could to keep me safe. But what about you? When do I get to take care of you? We're a team, right? You don't have to be such a hard ass all the time."

"I still shouldn't a kissed you. Not with you...lookin' like that."

Beth rolled her eyes at him and grinned. "Daryl, I've worn bathing suits that covered less than what you saw." She shook her head at him playfully. "You surprised me, that's for sure, but..."

"But...what?" Daryl forced down a swallow, his eyes looked nervous again.

"But...I like kissing you," she answered shyly. She could feel her cheeks heat up as a flush crept up her neck and onto her face.

His eyebrows popped up at that, his eyes wide with surprise. Beth noticed a slight blush cross his cheeks, too. He forced another swallow, trying to maintain his composure. He fought to keep his voice calm, "Yeah?"  
"Yeah...I really do," she flashed him one of her smiles again and he turned his body to face her better, bringing his knee up on the bed. She scooted a little closer to him, noticing her pulse starting to pick up again. She mirrored him, bringing her knee onto the bed, keeping her hand on his shoulder. She brought her other hand and placed it in between them. He glanced down at it, looking at it with curiosity first, then, painfully slowly, he brought his hand to meet hers. Her heart skipped a beat as their fingers touched.

"C'mere," Daryl said huskily, licking his lips and bringing his left hand up to caress her neck. She leaned forward, meeting him halfway, and their lips met, picking up right where they had left off. He threaded his fingers through her loose ponytail; his tongue licked at her bottom lip and she opened to him, meeting him every step of the way. His trained ears didn't miss the soft moan that escaped from her lips as she came up to breathe, and he smiled against her. He dragged his mouth away from hers and peppered kisses down her long, alabaster throat. Her breath hitched as he kissed and licked his way down to her collarbone, pulling the neck of the sweatshirt out of the way so he could seek out that pulse point at the base of her neck.

As his lips wandered over her skin, Beth brought her arms to his chest, reveling in the feel of him beneath her fingers. She found the edges of his vest and pushed them back over his shoulders. He moaned as he released her so he could get out of the vest, sending a chill through her. His arms came back to her, wrapped around her, his large hands splayed along her back, his fingers twisting the fabric that covered her. Beth kissed him anywhere she could as he continued to kiss up and down her throat – his cheeks, his temple – until she caught his earlobe between her lips. Before he could react, she lightly nipped at the skin with her teeth. His head snapped up, his eyes boring into her, and she felt a nervous giggle bubble up and escape. His face darkened, and a wolfish smile crossed his lips.

He chanced a glance at her and noticed her neck becoming more and more red, he realized from the scruff on his chin and cheeks. "Good," he thought, and another idea crept into his mind. He returned to kissing along her throat, but now added gentle love bites, relishing every time her breath caught at each little nip. He heard her gasp as he bit down a little harder, then lavished the spot with his tongue. His lips pressed against her skin, he increased the pressure, and he felt her fingers lace behind his neck and into his hair.

She could feel him leaving his mark on her neck, and loved the fact that he was marking her, claiming her, as his own. Now she needed more. She wanted to feel him against her. She brought her hands from his neck, over his strong shoulders, and down to his chest, where her fingers set to work unbuttoning his shirt. When he realized what she was doing, he stopped kissing her, just momentarily. She hoped she hadn't gone too far too fast. When he began kissing her again and pulling her closer to him, she continued until Daryl was all but bare chested in front of her.

She ran her hands over his chest, delighting in the curly hair that lightly covered his chest. This was all new for her. Between Jimmy and Zach, neither had much body hair at all. And while she had made out with both of them, it had never been anything as hot as this. She quickly pushed the boys out of her mind. Daryl was no boy; there was no way she could compare them to him.

Beth ran her fingers over his chest, lightly grazing over his nipples. She felt him start again, heard his breath catch, then a low growl came from his throat. She ran her hands back up his chest, along his shoulders and down his arms. Pressing very gently, she pushed his hands closer to the hem of her sweatshirt, down to her hips, hoping that he'd take the hint.

Apparently her subtlety was not lost on Daryl. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, asking a silent question with his expression. Beth wiggled a little closer to him and nodded, then started to kiss along his neck as he had done to her. He let out a soft chuckle and kissed along her temple, then caught her ear between his teeth, applying slight pressure. She continued licking and tasting him, and he swirled his tongue along her ear, causing her to gasp loudly. He chuckled again, and began to ease his fingertips underneath the thick fabric of her sweatshirt. He had just made contact with the skin along her sides when he heard her squeak and he leaned back abruptly. He looked nervously at her, but she was still smiling.

"It's okay. I'm just a little ticklish," she said softly, then kissed him on the lips again. His tongue darted greedily into her mouth as he ran his fingertips up and down her sides, enjoying the feel of her skin, so smooth and soft. She wiggled against him, trying not to react to his light touch. He brought his palms to her sides, his fingers running along her back and his thumbs tracing along her flat stomach. He ran his hands up and down, loving the feel of her, daring to push higher and higher until his thumbs skimmed against the fabric of her bra. Her breath hitched and he froze. Part of him wanted to pull away completely – he had definitely gone too far now. The other part couldn't bear to tear away from her.

Beth brought her lips to his again when her breath returned to her. She nodded against him and whispered, "It's okay." She felt one of his strong hands wrap around her back, pulling her close, delighting in how his rough callouses felt against her skin. She felt his other hand slowly make its way up to cup her breast, tentatively, as if Daryl was afraid of moving too fast. His warm palm covered her, and she let out another gasp. She felt her nipple tighten against his palm; he must have felt it, too, because he brought his fingers back to brush against the budding peak. She'd never felt anything like this in her life.

She almost cried out when he took his hand away, but his mouth claimed hers again. She felt his fingers run under the elastic of her bra, and then his rough hand was touching the delicate skin of her breast. She mewled against him and without thought, shifted her hips toward him. He rolled her tight nipple between his thumb and forefinger, eliciting a rough moan from her sweet mouth. God, the things this man did to her.  
Daryl kissed his way across her cheek and lightly bit down on her earlobe, then touched his tongue to the spot directly behind it. Both hands had wrapped around her, and she felt him fiddling with the clasp to her bra. When it finally released, his fingertips dragged across her skin to her front to cup both breasts in his large hands. She wasn't a big girl, but his hands were filled perfectly with her. He grazed his thumbs against her nipples.

She pulled back suddenly and he looked at her guiltily. "Here it comes," he thought, "I went too far. Dammit, I knew I'd fuck this up." Instead of yelling or backing away from him, however, her hands went down to the bottom of her shirt and began to slowly pull it over her head. She was just about to reveal her chest to his hungry eyes when...

GROWL

His expression changed. He looked at her in shock. "Was that you?" He couldn't help but smile, holding back a laugh.

She sheepishly let the fabric drop back down, her eyes lowered. Her expression was one of total embarrassment. "...yeah... I guess I'm kind of hungry," she mumbled.

Daryl chuckled as cupped her face and kissed her quickly on the lips. "Don't worry about it, baby. We haven't eaten in probably twelve hours or so. I'll see what kind of food is left in here, plus we got that left over squirrel from last night. 'Sides, what kind of protector would I be if I let you waste away?"

Beth smiled at him, grateful he wasn't making a big deal about her stupid stomach killing the mood. He kissed her again, a fraction longer this time, as if he was trying to kiss her embarrassment away. It was working...a little. She couldn't decide if it was a good thing or not that they had stopped when they did. The reassuring look she saw on Daryl's face when he pulled away from her told her this wouldn't be the last time. No, this was just the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if you think their escape was a little convoluted. I wanted to make sure to cover all angles…didn’t want Joe’s group to be able to follow Beth and Daryl easily. I’m not saying whether or not they’ll even go after Beth and Daryl, just want to be thorough. Daryl may be a redneck, but he’s not dumb, and neither is Beth.


	11. Chapter 11

Daryl got off the bed and walked to the tiny kitchenette off the main room of the apartment. He pressed his palms against the cool counter top and hung his head, breathing slow and deep, trying to get his pulse to return to normal. He reached down and adjusted himself, his erection straining against the zipper of his jeans. Lord, what this woman was doing to him. His mind kept drifting back to what had just happened between them, an instant replay of her lips on his neck, her breasts filling his hands. She had given back as much as she had taken. Could this really be happening? Did she want him as much as he wanted her? He could still hear her breathy moans in his ears, urging him on as he savored the taste and feel of her against him.

He breathed deeply again, fighting for control over what his body wanted – to go back to her, lay her down on that bed and make sweet love to her. Daryl shook his head. God, had he really just thought that? Since when did he ever want to make love? He'd never really had any type of girlfriend, just the lonely women he'd met in bars looking for a quick screw. Hell, half the time, when he'd been with any of them, he'd never even gotten fully undressed; he'd found release and that was it, and if they got off too, wonderful for them. Beth wasn't like them. She wasn't just a girl good for a screw and then leave. She was a girl who deserved everything this world had to offer; who he could see in his future; who he could fall in love with.

He took another steadying breath, willing his body to get under control. Slowly, he felt himself start to relax, and adjusted his pants accordingly. Daryl decided he needed something else to occupy his mind, so he set to the task of finding Beth something to eat.

He started rummaging through the cabinets, coming up with a couple boxes of crackers, some dry soup mix, canned veggies and fruit, and more peanut butter. Man, he hated that stuff, but beggars couldn't be choosers, and even he could only take so much squirrel meat. He brought the crackers and peanut butter to the small kitchen table, then started looking in the drawers for a knife. He found the silverware, along with a can opener, then sat himself at the table. Not long after, Beth joined him, sitting on her foot on the chair next to him. Seeing her bare shoulder peeking out of the too-big sweatshirt, her hair slightly mussed and her face still flushed, had his pulse throbbing again. Seeing his hickey on her neck nearly did him in. He couldn't help but stare at her. When she looked up at him, he shot her a grin, then turned to grab the peanut butter and wrenched the lid off the jar. He presented her with the butter knife and the jar before getting up and grabbing a couple water bottles from their rucksack.

Beth used her extra-long sleeve to wipe the dust off the table, then started spreading the peanut butter over the crackers, creating a little meal for the two of them. She snuck a glance as Daryl was bent over the rucksack, admiring the view, and smiled to herself, blushing. She had made out with Jimmy and Zach before, but what she had done with Daryl felt like so much more than that. They had kissed before, but never anything as intense as what they had just done. Her smile grew as she remembered how his hands had felt on her bare skin. She shivered slightly at the thought as her imagination began to take hold. What might have happened if her stomach had stayed quiet? Was she ready for whatever came next?

Daryl returned to the table, his shoulders seemed to tense up. Beth wondered what was up; he seemed to have been enjoying himself just a couple minutes ago. What had happened in such a short time? She buttered another cracker and slid it over to him. He reached out to take it, their fingertips brushing, sending what felt like an electric current up both of their arms. They both looked up and stared at each other, each confirming what the other had felt. She half-smiled at him, and he returned her smile briefly before straightening his face again. This time it was her turn to frown. "What's wrong?"

He glanced up at her, seeing he'd upset her. He popped a cracker into his mouth, avoiding having to answer just yet. She saw through his plan, however, and opened up a bottle of water before plopping it down in front of him. He looked up at her again, narrowing his eye as he did. She was quick. He smirked as he finished his mouthful and washed it down with some water. "Just thinkin' again."

"Need another penny?" she joked with him.

"Oh, ha ha, smart ass," he griped back at her, taking another sip. "I just…I don't know what we're doin' here."

"What do you mean? It's just crackers." She was trying to keep things light for him, he could tell, and he appreciated it, but he needed to get this out.

He gave her a look. "You know what I mean. What just happened in there…are you okay with all that?"

Beth shot him a full on smile. "Of course I am. You're…you're a really good kisser," she said with a little giggle. She felt a warmth spread over her chest as she remembered the feeling of his hands on her.

Daryl blushed a little at that. "I just don't want you to feel like I'm takin' advantage of ya. I'd never do that, Beth. Not to anyone. Especially not to you."

"I know that, Daryl. I don't feel that way at all." She leaned over and placed her small hand on top of his, her thumb tracing over his knuckles, glad that he didn't pull away from her touch.  
Upset Daryl was always hard to gauge as far as how he'd react to being touched. "I told you, I like kissing you. I…wouldn't necessarily mind doing that again…" She started tracing along the back of his hand with the tip of her pointer finger.

"Is she flirting with me?" Daryl wondered. It sure has hell seemed like it. This brought a whole new level of nervousness to him. This was all pretty new to him; any women he'd had before just kinda threw themselves on him. There was very little flirting involved. He wasn't sure what to do, so he just sat and stared as her finger traced invisible patterns on his hand. He closed his eyes, trying to think of something to say, something to do, when he felt her pull her hand away and start to stand up. She moved behind him. "What're you doin?"

"Relax, Daryl. You look tense," Beth said softly. She brought her hands up along his arms, feeling his biceps under his shirt, before resting along his shoulders. Using her palms, she began rubbing up and down the top half of his back, soothing the muscles beneath her touch. She gradually increased the pressure, using her thumbs and fingertips, discovering and massaging all the knots and tension she found.

At first, Daryl couldn't help but tense up. He couldn't help it – he wasn't used to being touched except in anger, especially on his back. Just being around Beth made him anxious and relaxed all at once. The more she worked her magic on his shoulders, however, the more he let his guard down. At least his back was still covered by his shirt, which he noticed was still unbuttoned, but didn't care enough at the moment to fix it. Her thumbs started working a particularly stubborn knot of muscle and he couldn't help but let out a low groan. He hung his head down, feeling his muscles start to relax and stretch under her knowledgeable fingers.

Satisfied at the progress she had made on his shoulders, Beth started to run her fingers along his neck, working at the tightness there, too, before running them up into his hair, massaging his scalp. She started at the nape of his neck, working her way around to his temples and up toward his forehead. He leaned against the back of the chair, letting his head drop backward. She stepped a little closer, her breasts brushing against the top of his head, and bent down to kiss him on his forehead.

His eyes snapped open, meeting hers instantly. She didn't back away, but smiled and kissed the tip of his nose instead. Beth stood on her tip toes and pecked him on the lips. She went to back away, but his hand shot out and grabbed her arm. He whirled her around to face him again, her eyes wide with surprise, a smile growing on her sweet lips. He gently pulled on her wrist; she stepped closer to him. His other hand reached up, grabbed her waist, and brought him down into his lap.

Beth instinctively wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "Feeling relaxed now?" she asked teasingly.

"Far from it, actually," he said as he pulled her down to kiss her. He wouldn't take it as far as they had earlier. He just had to feel her pressed up against him again…just for a little while. He ran his tongue along her soft lips, seeking entrance to her sweet mouth. She opened to him, and he brought up his hand to rest along her cheek. He fought every urge to pick her up and bring her back to the bed. He just couldn't do that to her. Though he'd never asked, he had a feeling she was a virgin, and didn't want to pressure her to do anything. She had said she wouldn't mind kissing him again, and he was more than happy to give her that.

Beth started to squirm on his lap. At first Daryl thought she was just trying to get comfortable, then he thought she was teasing. It dawned on him that he was getting a little too excited...and Beth couldn't help but feel him growing beneath her. He pulled back from her, both hands landing on her hips, trying to hold her still. He looked up at her, trying to hide his embarrassment, but wanted to see her reaction. She looked down at him confused, about to ask him again what was wrong, when Daryl saw the look of comprehension cross her face.

She giggled shyly, "Daryl...something you want to tell me?"

"Some things can't be helped, darlin'." He brought her down for one more kiss before lifting her gently off his lap. "Need to give him a break before you get me too excited and start something we can't finish."

"I'm sorry, Daryl. I didn't mean to..."

"S'alright. Just need a minute to cool down. We oughta go through the rest of the apartment, see what's all in here."

Beth nodded, blushing as she glanced down at his lap. She couldn't help it; now that she knew what had happened, her eyes were just drawn there, noticing the large lump that had grown in his pants. Her blush deepened and she forced herself to move, beginning her search in the kitchen for more food.

There wasn't much there they could use. Daryl had already taken some things from the cabinet and placed them on the counter. She did find lots of Ziploc baggies and containers, which would definitely help in keeping any food they found fresh. At least it was something.

Hanging on the inside of one of the cabinet doors was a key on a keychain. Beth took it off the hook and examined it. There was an 'M' stamped onto one side. "What an odd place for a spare key," she thought. She walked into the next room, where she saw Daryl going through a small file cabinet. "Hey, Daryl, what do you think this is to?" She dangled the key at eye-level. He reached out and took it, looking it over.

"'M'? What is that?" He seemed just as confused as she had.

She shrugged. "What'd you find?" Beth asked, nodding at the file cabinet.

"Dunno. A bunch of files, but they're just marked with numbers. No clue what they are."

Beth put it together first. "Daryl, this is like...the manager's apartment. The guy who keeps an eye on all the tenants. This," she held up the key, "must be a master key. I bet we can get into any of the apartments with this."

Daryl stared at her. Damn, she was smart. "Well, hell, let's go explore." He grabbed his crossbow and hoisted it over his shoulder and unlocked the front door. He held it open and bowed. "Ladies first."

Beth made sure her knife was on her hip and walked out into the main hallway. She headed to the door closest to the stairwell and put the key in the knob. It turned easily, the door opening before her. She was about to walk in when Daryl's arm shot across her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Better safe than sorry." He raised his crossbow and scanned the room. Just because they hadn't heard anything earlier didn't mean these apartments weren't completely clear. If these walkers had been locked in here for so long, maybe they were just slow on the uptake. Well, slower on the uptake than the normal walker. Satisfied that it was safe to go in, he gestured to Beth to follow. It was dark in the room; Daryl crossed to the window and opened the blinds.

There wasn't a ton they could use. Clothes mostly, but they could only carry so much of them. It would be nice to have some heavier clothes with winter getting close. Beth made her way to the kitchen to see what kind of food they could grab. Daryl started going through the dresser drawers in the bedroom. Buried at the bottom of the top drawer was a small box filled with some very recognizable foil wrappers. "Well, this is a predicament," he thought. He didn't want to assume this was the road he and Beth were on. He sure as hell wasn't about to suggest it to her. Still, it seemed like a good idea to be prepared...just in case. He grabbed the box and stuffed it into his back pocket. He continued his search for anything useful when he heard Beth shriek from outside the bedroom.

Daryl rushed out to her, worry plastered on his face. "What the hell? What's wrong?" She looked fine, standing in front of the kitchen cabinets, looking at something in her hands. She turned around slowly, a look of reverence on her face.

"Do you know what this is?" Her voice sounded low and intense, thick with realization. Daryl just cocked an eyebrow at her. "This is the best stuff on earth. It's Nutella, and it's still got the freshness seal on it. They must have just bought it before everything happened."

"What the hell is Nutella?" Daryl appreciated her enthusiasm over...whatever the hell this was...but his patience was being tested.

"Nutella is...I can't even explain it. It's like peanut butter, but chocolate-y. You just have to try it."

She raced back to the first apartment; he couldn't help but follow her, his curiosity getting the better of him, her enthusiasm infectious. He had just walked through the doorway and she all but ran into him. He caught her by the shoulders, keeping her from falling. She was positively beaming at him, offering him a cracker with a daub of the dark brown spread on it. "Try it. You'll love it."

He raised his eyebrow at her again, taking the cracker from her. He sniffed at it, and it smelled like she said, nutty and chocolaty all at once. He popped the whole thing in his mouth, chomping down on it, tasting the salty cracker first. Suddenly he stopped chewing as the spread began to melt on his tongue. "Holy shit!" he exclaimed, his mouth still full. He chewed slower, savoring the taste.

"So you like it, huh?" Beth teased, offering him a second cracker before preparing one for her.

"It's pretty good! Better than peanut butter, that's for damn sure."

"Glad I could be here for your first time," Beth said, fully aware of the innuendo. She sent him a wicked grin, then laughed. "Isn't it the best thing you've ever tasted?"

Daryl finished chewing before saying, "Nope. Second best." Then he grabbed her around her waist with one arm and planted a scorching kiss right on her lips. She melted to him, wrapping her hands around his neck. She groaned a little when he released her, too soon for her liking.

"Come on, girl. Let's see what else we can find." He let her walk out to the main hallway again before smacking her butt playfully. She turned and cast him her wicked grin again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to keep this as realistic as I can (well, as realistic as one can when the characters are in the middle of a zombie apocalypse…). Nothing kills the mood like "bodily noises," amiright? These two just aren't ready to go all the way, especially not the first time they're really alone and somewhat safe. I want to keep them in character as much as possible, true to the show, not just what my Bethyl-addled imagination really WANTS them to do. To quote Daniel Tosh, "Oh, don't worry, baby birds, I'll feed ya."   
> I've probably said too much. Enjoy. Review. Tell your friends.


	12. Chapter 12

Beth and Daryl continued their search through the rest of the apartments. They decided that anything they found that could be useful they would just bring back to the first apartment and go through and pack things up later. After a while, Daryl was the one scavenging while Beth stayed in the apartment, sorting through everything. Daryl had found a large, military grade duffle bag and had started using that so he wouldn't have to make as many trips. This made sorting through everything a little more difficult, simply because there would be a huge amount of stuff all at once, and Beth would have just barely made a dent in the pile when Daryl dumped another load onto it. Her frustrated glare didn't escape him, but he couldn't help but think how cute she was when she got mad.

After Daryl had cleared out all the apartments on one half of the hallway, he decided he was getting pretty tired and hungry. They had been working most of the day, not to mention having walked all night escaping from Joe's group. He returned to where Beth was working, and saw her seated on the floor of the living room, folding up clothes to fit better in the bags they had found. There was a pile of medical supplies: bottles of pills, bandages, a couple first aid kits. Next to that were all kinds of toiletries. She had organized all the food he had brought her, cans of veggies, beans, fruits, and even some tuna and meat, along with boxes of stale cereal and some rice. They had several kinds of snacks, sweet and savory. It was like the people who had lived here hadn't packed at all – just up and left it all behind. One even had a little portable cooktop and some cans of propane to fuel it. It would be good eating tonight, that was for sure.

Daryl started to set up the mini-stove while Beth continued to fold clothes. He broke the silence, "What do you feel like for dinner? Probably oughta eat that squirrel 'fore it goes bad. Hate to waste it when the canned stuff'll keep."

"Yeah, that's fine, as long as we put something on it to help. There should be some barbecue sauce over there," she gestured to the pile. Daryl grabbed the bottle, then took out a small pan to cook up the squirrel meat.

"Anything else ya want?" Daryl asked. "We got corn, carrots, green beans..."

"Green beans are alright," she responded, not really caring one way or the other.

Daryl looked at her closer. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess. I'll probably go to bed right after dinner."

"Aight. Sounds good. You pick your room yet?" Daryl asked, opening the can of green beans and pouring them into a smaller pot.

"My room? Aren't we staying in here?" Beth got up and walked over to Daryl and the cook top. She found some salt and pepper and added it to the green beans. It had been a long time since they got a chance to season any of their food.

Daryl looked at her, noticing how comfortable it felt being so close to her...so...domestic. It was an entirely new sensation for him, and he wasn't fighting it. "Well, yeah, if you wanna stay in here. Just thought maybe you'd be more comfortable in one of the other rooms. Go take a look, see what you think."

Beth sent him a questioning look, but didn't say anything. She made her way out the door and headed to the end of the hallway. She didn't understand why they couldn't just stay in the manager's apartment. There were two bedrooms. Granted, there was only one bed; the second bedroom had a workout bench in it, but there was still the couch in the living room. They'd both have a place to sleep that wasn't the ground. She decided to humor Daryl.

She'd already been in the first apartment down the hall, remembering it was only a one-bedroom, nothing special about it. Beth walked in the next apartment, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. It was absolutely in shambles. If it hadn't been locked, she'd have thought walkers had already gotten into it...or bandits. Upon further inspection, she realized the floor was all but covered in take-out boxes, pizza boxes, empty cans and bottles, and paper plates. She kept looking around and saw on the entertainment center every gaming system she'd ever heard of. This must have been some single guy's place, not necessarily a bachelor pad, but a gamer's haven. The longer she stayed in the room, the more the smells began to invade her senses. No, she wasn't staying in here either. She turned to leave the room, closing the door behind her.

Feeling a little like Goldilocks at this point, she went on to the next apartment. There was a matching couch and loveseat, lots of pictures on the walls, glass coffee table – Beth felt like this would be something like she would have had when she moved out of the farmhouse. She ventured into the bedroom. There was a queen size bed with a cozy looking comforter and lots of pillows. As tired as Beth was, it looked like Heaven.

She looked around the room and saw a chest of drawers on the opposite side of the room, the top covered with picture frames. She walked over to get a better look in the fading light. There was a couple on their wedding day, all smiles and love reflected in each other's eyes. Engraved in the brushed silver frame was an inscription that read, "Scott and Christy – Two Hearts, One Soul." Tears began to prick her eyes. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to them. Did they get out? Were they safe? Her tears started to flow freely, silently.

She heard his soft footsteps in the living room, but didn't turn around when Daryl entered the room. "Hey. Dinner's ready." All Beth could do was nod. She didn't trust her voice to not betray the fact that she was crying over complete strangers. She tried to calm herself down as his footsteps drew closer to her, stopping just behind her. "I had a feeling you'd pick this one."

Beth spun around and wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist and buried her face in his chest.  
He jumped a little at first, but ended up putting his arms around her. She started sobbing against him. He just held her for a minute, letting...whatever this was...run its course. He was completely lost as to what to do. He had very little experience actually talking with women. Hell, the times he'd talked with Beth far outweighed any other times with any other woman. When he thought it was safe, he asked softly, "You okay?"

"I'm sorry. I was just going through the apartments and I can't help but wonder what happened to all these people? It's like...one day they were here and the next they were gone. It doesn't look like anyone packed anything, they weren't prepared for anything. And now we're here living in their home, going through their stuff. I just...I hate this."

Daryl was about to say something, but couldn't get it out fast enough. She continued, "Then I started thinking about Maggie and Glenn, about Rick and Carl, about everyone. Where did they go? Are they alright? Will we ever see them again? Is the Governor still out there? What about Joe – are they gonna be coming after us?"

Jesus, is this what went on in a woman's head? Daryl didn't even know where to start, so he just kept listening. "And now I'm just so tired and hungry, and I feel like I'm always tired and hungry. I feel like I can't do anything, that I just depend on you for everything, and I hate feeling helpless, and..."

"Beth?"

She looked up at him, her bright blue eyes bright with tears. He couldn't help but smile down at her. He brought his hands up, smoothed down her hair, and cupped her face. He placed a soft kiss against her lips, then another on her forehead, before looking down at her again. "I don't have all the answers. I don't know if we'll ever see any of the group again. I hope to hell The Governor and Joe stay the hell away from us, but I promise you, no matter what happens, I'll protect you. What I do have is some dinner for you, and it looks like you picked out a nice place to sleep. Let's just start there, huh?"

Beth swallowed then smiled up at him. "Okay."

Daryl dropped his hands to his sides. He offered his hand to her, and she accepted. They walked back to the manager's apartment hand in hand. Daryl had found some plates and had set the table for the two of them. Beth's heart fluttered in her chest – this was about the sweetest thing he'd done. She looked up at him and flashed a smile before laying her hand along his right cheek and kissing his left. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Ain't nothin'. 'S just food."

She didn't want to argue with him, but it was so much more than that. He was doing more than just protecting her – he was really taking care of her. She could feel herself getting warm standing there next to him. This was more than her caring for him, and more than a crush. In that moment, Beth realized, she was falling in love with Daryl Dixon. She couldn't tell him that – she knew he'd go back to being the silent, moody Daryl she had known from the prison. No, she'd keep this secret to herself. She didn't want to scare him. He had enough to deal with.

Beth sat at the table, appreciating the effort Daryl had put into dinner. He'd even found silverware and set it out. She picked up her fork, for what felt like the first time in forever, and speared a piece of squirrel meat and dipped it in the barbecue sauce, which definitely helped. It was nice to have a hot meal, not sitting on the ground, not having to be on guard. She looked over at Daryl, who was shoveling food into his mouth at an alarming pace. "You know, you can take your time and actually taste your food. You could even chew it if you wanted," she teased

Daryl glanced up, swallowing a large mouthful. "Sorry. Force of habit." He was glad to see her joking again. He hated seeing her cry. It made him feel absolutely helpless. He tried to think of something to add to the conversation. "We oughta set up a noise trap for the stairwell. Just in case."

"Okay. I'm sure we can find something. I know there's a bunch of junk in that gamer's room."

"You saw that one, huh?" Daryl chuckled. "Figured you wouldn't like that one."

"That reminds me – how did you know I'd like that room?" she pointed with her fork toward the apartment she had just been in.

"Just had a feelin'" Daryl said, and Beth thought she saw a blush cross his cheeks. "Dunno. Just seemed to fit ya is all. Soft and warm and cozy." Yeah, Daryl was definitely blushing now.

Beth smiled at him, giving him a look. "Warm and cozy, huh?" she teased again.

"Shut up," he muttered. He slumped back in his chair, groaning slightly.

"You okay?" Beth asked, a look of concern on her face.

"Yeah, my back's just hurting. Just sore is all. I'll be fine."

Beth looked down at her plate, focusing on stabbing the green beans with her fork. "Would another back rub help?" she kept her head down, but looked up at him through her eyelashes. She couldn't believe she'd said it, but she really wouldn't mind feeling all those muscles under her fingers again.

"I might take you up on that. Depends on how long you stay awake." Just as he finished his sentence, Beth let out a quiet yawn. He couldn't help but chuckle at her timing. "See?"

"I'll be fine. You done?" Daryl nodded, and she took his plate and hers to the sink. She tried turning on the faucet, but no luck. "Well, that's that."

Beth came back and sat at the table. A hush fell between them. "There's some fruit in a can if you want dessert."

"Maybe later. Gotta get some noise makers first," Daryl started to get up.

"Do you want some help?" Beth stood up again.

"Only if ya wanna. It'd go faster if you did." He walked over to the pile in the living room, looking for some rope he'd found earlier. It was getting hard to see in the apartment with the sun sinking over the horizon...not that much light could get in through the boarded up window anyway.

"Alright. I'll go grab some cans from that gamer's room."

"Meet ya downstairs."


	13. Chapter 13

Once they had set up the noise traps downstairs and Daryl was satisfied with how secure the door to the main entrance was, Beth and Daryl headed upstairs for some much needed sleep. Beth stopped in the manager's apartment. She remembered seeing some comfy pajama pants in the pile in the living room. She grabbed them and a big t-shirt, then headed back to her room to change. This time she made sure to close the bedroom door before getting undressed...not that she minded all that much what had happened the last time when she had left the door open.

She started removing some of the extra pillows from the bed and turning down the covers when she heard a knock at the door. She smiled to herself, amused that Daryl would be so gentlemanly as to knock even when they were the only two in the building. "Come in!" she called out.

Daryl walked in, his eyes drawn immediately to the sight of Beth bent over near the bed. His heart started pounding in his chest. He shook his head, trying to clear his senses. He didn't need to be thinking like that now. "Just came in to say g'night."

Beth turned and looked at him. Daryl had found some sweat pants and a wife-beater to sleep in. Her jaw all but dropped to the floor. "Is it getting warm in here?" she thought to herself. His arms were almost always exposed, but she had never seen him this dressed down, this unguarded. It may have been the first time she'd ever seen him without his crossbow. She blushed and quickly cleared her throat. "Oh. Um, good night." She watched as Daryl started to turn to walk out of the room. "Daryl, wait!" She breathed a little easier when he stopped. Then he turned those baby blues on her and her heart started hammering again. "Um...what about your backrub?" she asked nervously.

He regarded her for a second. "You sure it's not too late?" He knew he was tempting fate, but couldn't help it. He wanted to be close to her, to feel her hands work their magic on him again.

"No, it's okay. Come lay down. Unless you wanna go to your room." Beth patted the bed she had just turned down. She stepped back as he shuffled his feet across the floor before flopping down on the bed.

"Nah...I'm here now." Daryl said, his voice muffled slightly by the pillows left on the bed. Beth swore she heard a smile in his voice.

She leaned over him, running her palms up and down his spine, warming up the muscles in his back before massaging them. As she did so, his shirt began to ride up, revealing the skin beneath. Daryl immediately sat up and pulled the shirt back down. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea." There was panic in his voice.

Beth's heart went out to him. "Daryl, it's okay. I've seen your back before. I helped Daddy patch you up that day Andrea shot you. I know. It's okay." She kept her voice soft. She knew this was a touchy thing for him, and could understand why. "Everyone's got scars, Daryl. Even me." She reminded him, holding up her left wrist.

"I don't care. I don't need your pity." Anger was starting to creep into his voice.

He stared at the pattern on the sheets before finally bringing his eyes up to look at hers. Beth stood there, eyes wide open. He could tell she was being sincere. Her words sank into his heart. He reached for her wrist, tracing over her scar with his thumb. He could feel her pulse quickening beneath his fingers. He gently pulled on her wrist, bringing her closer to him. He didn't want to push her away. He wanted her near him, always.

She crawled onto the bed, but still kept her distance. "Daryl, I do not pity you. Scars aren't something to be ashamed of. They show how strong you are; they show you survived. It doesn't matter to me how you got them. Whatever happened, it's in the past. That's all the scars are – part of your past. They don't define you."

She ran her fingers through his shaggy hair, which had fallen and covered his eyes. Beth was feeling bold. Maybe it was just her being tired, or because of the effect he was having on her pulse, on her heart. She leaned in and kissed him, softly. She reached both hands down to his waist, her fingers pulling at the sides of his shirt. Daryl instantly tensed up and gripped her wrists, his fingers biting into her flesh. She didn't flinch. She whispered against his lips, "Daryl. It's okay. I promise."

Daryl pulled back, away from her kiss. When she opened her eyes, his piercing eyes met hers. Beth fought the chill that began to run down her spine. "Daryl, I would never, ever hurt you. You can trust me."

Daryl closed his eyes again, breathing deeply. His grip on her wrists loosened, just slightly. He did trust her. She was so open with him about everything, so honest and pure. He knew she wouldn't do anything to hurt him. She was far too good for that. But even if she had seen his back before, for him to reveal his scars to her...hell, he'd never willingly shown his back to anyone. She said she didn't care. Daryl knew she did care; he could see it all over her face, but it wasn't about his scars. She cared about him, wanted to help him. Just like when she'd suggested burning down the moonshine shack, this was Beth trying to get him to see that the past didn't matter.

Daryl felt her weight on the bed shift. He looked around to see her getting off the bed. He figured he had blown it and hung his head. His damned insecurities had pushed her away after all. She didn't need to put up with his bullshit, and she finally figured that out. His heart began racing with anxiety until he felt her kneel on the bed behind him.

Beth crawled up behind him, threading her arms under his and around his chest. She pressed her cheek to his shoulder, and just held him, waiting for his reaction. She felt him shift against her, but never pull away. She pulled him tighter, pushing herself closer to him, her knees straddling his hips so she came fully flush with his back. When she was sure he wasn't going to run away, she loosened her hold on him. She moved her arms from around his chest to envelop his neck and brought her face closer to his.

Daryl felt her move against him. She brushed her lips across his cheek, his ear, down his neck and to his shoulder. Her hand came to rest on this shoulder, one finger delicately tracing one of the scars peeking out from under his shirt. He tensed automatically, but he didn't feel her pull away. Instead he felt her lips press against his scar, feathering kisses along the length of it, moving the strap of his shirt as she worked further down his back. When she reached the end of one scar, her mouth moved to the next one, and the next, kissing whatever she could reach with his shirt still covering his back. She kissed her way back up to his neck, then her lips brushed against his ear.

Beth wrapped her arms around his neck again, and whispered, "I love you, Daryl. Scars and all. You don't have to say it back, it's okay. I just want you to know. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I understand." Beth started to pull away, to give him the space she thought he would want, but she felt his fingers brush against hers, then his hand moving to cover her own.  
Beth turned her head to look at him as he turned his. Instantly, their lips met and her eyes fluttered shut. His arm snaked around her waist and brought her to his front and situated her on his lap. She let out a startled gasp as she felt herself being moved. He encircled her with his strong arms and held her tight, keeping his lips locked on hers. She brought her arms to wrap around his neck.

Daryl tightened his grip on her torso, holding her right up against him. Her shirt was twisted from his dragging her to his lap, and the fabric had ridden up, exposing her soft skin. He brought his hand to rest on her hip, loving the feel of her smooth skin beneath his hands. There was something incredibly personal about being able to feel someone without barriers, physical or otherwise. In that moment, he understood what she was trying to do. Her words and her actions were like taking a sledgehammer to the walls he had put up around his heart, and she had finally busted through.

He released his hold on her waist, dragging his hands up her sides, grazing long the sides of her breasts, along her arms, until his hands covered hers. He gently pried them off his neck, holding her delicate fingers in his, and brought her hands to rest between them. Making sure she was well balanced on his lap first, he reached down to the bottom of his shirt and pulled it off in one swift motion. He instinctively brought his hands to cradle her face and brought her in for another kiss, this one more insistent, more demanding, than the last. Her arms returned to his neck, holding on tighter than before, crushing herself to him.

They kissed until they were breathless. Beth was the one to break the kiss, as difficult as it was for her to do so. "If you want that back rub, we should get going on it. It's getting late." She stayed in his lap, letting him call the next shot.

Daryl let out a low growl before dragging her close for one more kiss, then moving his hands to her hips and lifting her off his lap and back onto the bed. "Alright, but only because my back is killing me, and I didn't just strip for you for nothin'," he said through a smirk. She blushed at the words he chose, but couldn't help but smile. She moved out of his way so he could lay down on the pillows again.

Beth crawled up next to him, running her hands over his bare back. She bent and ran kisses all over his back, over skin and scar alike. Her wavy blonde hair was creating an entirely new sensation across his skin. Once she had finished, her hands started working the muscles in his lower back, stretching and straightening as she went. She couldn't get quite the right angle she needed to really work through the tension in his back. Without warning, she straddled Daryl, her knees by his hips, practically sitting on his ass.

Daryl pushed himself off the pillows and turned backward to look at her, saying everything with one raised eyebrow. "I can't reach from that angle." Beth replied, innocently enough. He shook his head and quietly snorted, turning back and getting comfortable on the pillows again.

From this position, Beth could put all her weight into working the knots out of his back. She ran her hands all over, coaxing and soothing the muscles beneath, mindful of the scars, but not daring to draw any more attention to them. She didn't miss Daryl's soft groans and knew she'd been hitting some tender spots.

She would have liked to keep working his back, but her eyelids began to droop. She liked making him feel good. She shook herself more awake, but knew she needed to wrap things up and get some sleep. She looked down at Daryl and saw his eyes were closed. She inched her way off him, not wanting to disturb him if he was actually sleeping. She should have known, with his hunter's instincts, he'd wake up the moment she moved, if he'd ever really been asleep at all. Beth looked at him apologetically and said, "I need to get some sleep."

Daryl made to get off the bed, to return to the manager's apartment. He felt her hand on his bicep and, startled, looked up to meet her gaze.

"Stay with me tonight?"

He swallowed hard. "You sure?" he asked throatily.

"Yes, Daryl, I'm sure, but only if you want to stay. I just...feel safer when you're with me."

He thought for a long minute. He had never dreamed Beth would ask him to share a bed with her. He wasn't sure this was the best course of action, but damned if he didn't want to stay anyway and to hell with the consequences.

"Alright. Lemme go grab the key and lock up. I'll be right back."

Beth tried to stay calm as she got off the bed, pulled the covers back, and settled back in, pulling the sheet and comforter up under her arm. She was a little nervous about sharing a bed with a man. They'd slept together on the ground but this was so much more intimate. "It's just for safety," she tried telling herself, but who was she kidding. Daryl made her feel things she'd never felt before. Her mind began to wander as her eyes started to drift shut.

Just by that, Daryl walked back in and over to the bed. He sat on the edge and flopped back, his head landing heavily on the pillows, facing the ceiling. He sprawled out across his side of the bed, but held his right arm somewhat awkwardly at his side, not wanting to invade Beth's space.

Beth shifted slightly, laying on her left side, facing Daryl, and ran her fingers lightly up and down his arm. He looked over to her, his eyes meeting her sleepy ones in the early evening light. The sun had gone down close to an hour ago, and the moon hadn't made its full ascent into the sky yet. He could still see her eyes sparkling in the dim light. He brought his right arm up and over, and Beth cuddled up next to him, resting her head on his upper arm. He turned onto his right side, bringing his left arm to drape over her tiny waist, pulling her closer.

Beth felt a slight chill run down her back at his touch. His fingers made a swirling pattern at the base of her spine. She fought back a yawn, but lost. Daryl chuckled, then bent his head to kiss her. She returned his kiss with as much force as she had, which wasn't much in her sleepy state. He pulled away, but placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose and on her forehead before saying, "Goodnight, Beth."

She snuggled up to him until her head was resting beneath his chin. "Goodnight, Daryl."

Within a minute, he felt her breath come out slower, indicating she was sound asleep already. He pressed another kiss to her forehead and whispered, "I love you," and drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, this was probably the hardest chapter I've written so far. I knew what I wanted to happen, but not how to get them there. Let me know – did I get it right?


	14. Chapter 14

"I can't find nothin'. It's like they just vanished into thin air. What the fuck?" Tim complained as he returned from his latest scouting mission. The whole group of men had been scouring around their campsite for any trace of Beth or Daryl and had turned up basically empty. The best they had found was what had to be Daryl's prints leading toward a stream, some very faint walker tracks, and a twice-dead girl. At first Chester thought it was Beth, but the body was way too decomposed to be her. They had tracked both trails as far as they could, but no one in the group was all that experienced as a tracker, and the wind that had picked up and rain that had worked its way through the trees certainly didn't help in preserving any tracks.

It appeared that Beth and Daryl had, indeed, vanished.

Joe couldn't believe it. He had stood up for that mother fucker and for what? For him to desert the group? While he was supposed to be on watch, nonetheless? That piece of shit, claiming that hot piece of ass and not doing anything with her, taunting the rest of them, then stranding them in the middle of god knows where to be eaten by god knows what. It was fucking intolerable.

Joe was beyond pissed.

He realized just how lucky they were that the rain had hidden their scent from any other walkers in the area. That would have been a hell of a way to wake up...or not wake up. It only pissed him off more.

“Boys, let’s be smart about this. They couldn’t have just disappeared. Plus that bitch has a bum ankle. They can’t have gotten too far in just one day. We’ll look over by that walker Chester found, focus over there. Only someone living would have taken out a walker like that. That has to be the direction they went.”

“Yeah, but we found Daryl’s tracks heading the opposite way,” countered Tony. “Shouldn’t we go that way? Ain’t no way she went somewhere without him. He‘d been carrying her all damn day today.”

“You wanna go that way, be my guest. The only direction we know someone went for sure is that way,” Joe pointed in the direction of the dead girl. “In case you forgot, Daryl’s prints disappear once they reach the stream. You think you can pick up tracks in running fucking water?” Tony stayed quiet. “That’s what I thought. Now quit yer bitchin’ and let’s go.”

“Man, we been lookin’ for ‘em all day already. I ain’t gonna go on no wild goose chase in the dark.” Chester whined. The group mumbled their assent. Joe felt his shoulders tighten with frustration.

“Alright you bunch ‘a pussies. You get yer beauty sleep so we can get going early tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, but Joe…” Tim piped up again, and Joe’s menacing glare stopped him momentarily. “I just…where do we go next? That way leads to the train tracks. We goin’ after Daryl or after the asshole that killed Lou?”

Joe felt all eyes turn to him. He hated this part of being a leader. He didn’t mind telling these idiots what to do when he had an actual plan, but now…shit he didn’t know. “If those two are smart, they’d head for Terminus. Two people ain’t gonna survive out here by themselves.”

“Those two could. He’s one tough son of a bitch,” Chester mumbled. “And he didn’t seem all too keen on going there anyway.”

“Yeah, but if we go to Terminus, we either get Daryl or the other guy.”

Joe could feel his patience wearing really fucking thin. “Fuckin’ fine. We’ll vote. All in favor of heading to Terminus?”

XXXXX

Daryl's eyes snapped open at the sound of thunder crashing right above them. A hard, slanting rain was beating against the windows outside. He looked around, trying to determine just where he was. It took a minute before he remembered finding the apartment building, clearing out the different rooms...

...the backrub...

...Beth breaking down the last walls standing around his heart...

...crawling into bed with Beth...

His eyes focused on the sleeping beauty lying next to him. She was still curled up against him, her head resting soundly on his arm. He realized his arm was completely asleep from his elbow down to his fingers, but he didn't mind in the least. It was worth it to see her lying there, her golden hair spread out on the pillow behind her. She was like an angel. An angel that had told him she loved him.

His heart tightened at the memory of hearing those words from her sweet lips last night. What the hell had he done to deserve her loving him? He sure as hell couldn't think of anything. But she had said it, and didn't expect him to say anything back.

Damn, but he wanted to. He just couldn’t get the words out. It wasn’t pride, it wasn’t fear. It was his own inadequacy that stopped him. He didn’t deserve her, not by a long shot. She apparently thought otherwise. He couldn’t help but smile to himself. She deserved to know how he really felt about her. He just had to man up and tell her.

A piece of her hair had fallen in front of her face. Daryl reached up and gently tucked it behind her ear. He traced his thumb gently along the side of her face. He froze as she started to move, just slightly. As Beth relaxed against the pillow again, and his breath came back to him, he ever so gently draped his arm around her, resting just above her hip. He fought every urge to pull her close to him, but he didn’t want her to wake just yet, and knew any movement would probably wake her. He was content to just lay there and look at his angel in the bleak morning light.

He lay there, looking at her, memorizing every tiny feature of her, for who knows how long. Suddenly, another clap of thunder rumbled above them. He watched, intoxicated by her, as she moved next to him, stretching her limbs almost cat-like. She groaned and blinked her eyes open, looking right up at him before smiling, melting his heart all over again. She brought her arm up to his waist, mirroring the way he was holding her. “Mmmm…good morning…” she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep.

“’Morning,” he replied, grinning back at her.

“How long have you been up?” she asked with concern.

Daryl shrugged. “Not long. Thunder woke me up.”

Beth nodded against the pillow, not taking her eyes off of him. “Hmm…” She tilted her head, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain on the windows. “I love sleeping in when it rains. There used to be a song about it.”

“Yeah? You wanna sing it for me? Don’t see no jukebox in here, either.”

She smiled at the memory of her singing to him in the funeral home. Her smile melted into a slight frown. “Oh, but I just woke up. My voice will sound all froggy,” Beth complained.

“Hey, if you can’t pull it off…” He teased her, knowing he would get her goat.

“Okay, but I warned you…” she cleared her throat and sang softly.

“Pray that it’s raining on Sunday…stormin’ like crazy…we’ll hide under the covers all afternoon…”

She stopped, looking embarrassed, a blush creeping over her cheeks. “What? Keep going,” Daryl egged her on.

“I…okay…” she swallowed, suddenly looking very nervous. “Pray that whatever comes Monday will take care of itself…cause we got better things that we can do…when it’s rainin’ on Sunday.”  
She lowered her chin to her chest, trying to hide her eyes from his gaze.

Daryl brought his hand to her chin, gently lifting it so she was looking at him. He bent his head and pressed a kiss to her lips. He returned his arm to wrap around her, pulling her close to him, until she was pressed up against him. His hand found its way beneath her shirt, pressing his palm against the smooth skin of her back, rubbing his large hand up and down, loving the feel of her beneath his fingers.

He felt her arms encircle his neck, pressing herself further into him. He groaned at the feeling of her so close to him. She shifted herself against his body, rubbing herself up and down the length of him. He began leaving a string of hot kisses along the column of her throat, her breathy moan in his ear spurring him on further. He let his tongue and teeth taste and tease her skin, feeling her squirm next to him. The taste and smell of the skin of her neck, all feminine and sweet, combined with her movements next to him had him getting hard; he found himself not really caring whether or not she knew it. He wasn’t letting go of her any time soon.

He wanted to feel more of her, dragging his fingers along her back to her waist, ghosting along her tight stomach. Her breath hitched in her throat; she tried not to giggle at the ticklish sensation. He pulled back slightly, looking into her emerald eyes as his hand crept slowly up her torso, along her rib cage, his raised eyebrows asking silent permission.

Beth kissed him and brought her hand to cover his, dragging his hand to cover her breast, before pulling her arm through her sleeve. She broke the kiss briefly so she could pull her head through the neck hole, effectively removing her shirt, exposing her body to him. She lifted herself up onto her right elbow, giving her enough room to fully discard the shirt and toss it over her shoulder, giggling as she did so.

Daryl slid his hand to land on her hip and looked at her smiling eyes before raking his eyes over her chest, landing on the most perfect pair of breasts he’d ever seen, her pink nipples standing hard and firm, almost begging to be sucked. He looked up at her. “God, you’re beautiful.” He crushed another kiss to her lips, pressing her back down onto the bed, then teased down her neck, over her collarbone, licking along the pulse point he found there. He replaced his hand on her breast, her hard nipple pressing against his palm. He kissed his way down her chest, until his lips reached his hand, now cupping her breast, bringing her nipple to his lips. He heard her sudden gasp and felt her grip on his shoulder tighten.

He forced himself to pull away and look up at her again. “You okay?”

Beth had scrunched her eyes shut and bit her lower lip, but nodded nervously. “Yeah. I’ve just…no one…no one…“ She looked at him, “you’re the…”

“Beth, have you done any of this before?”

Her chin dropped to her chest again and she shook her head no.

Daryl had figured she was a virgin. She was too damned sweet and innocent about everything else; it just made sense. But to not have had anyone touch her before? What the hell was she doing with those two boys before? They had to have been god damned idiots to not know what they had with Beth. And now here he was, feeling like the luckiest man in the world to be able to be this close to her, whether he deserved her or not.

“Are you sure this is okay? We can stop.”

“No!” she answered emphatically. “No, I want to keep going. I trust you. Please, Daryl.”

That was all it took. He kissed her hard, then brought his mouth back to her tight nipple, sucking on her gently, then circling it with the tip of his tongue. Her soft moans sent chills through his spine and he smiled against her. His hand moved to her hip, pressing her so her back was flat against the bed, and his mouth shifted to her other breast. He was partially lying on top of her, his left elbow braced next to her, keeping most of his weight off her. His right hand ran up and down her body, cupping her breast again, rolling her nipple between his fingers, gently teasing and twisting it, eliciting another gasp as he wreaked havoc on her senses. Her hands ran up his arms to land on his shoulders, gripping him and pulling him closer to her. Beth’s fingers curled into his hair and pulled him up to kiss him again. He let his body cover hers.

As her mouth found his, sliding her tongue in to taste him, she arched her back against him. She had never felt anything like this before. She felt sexy…womanly…cherished…loved. She pressed her breasts against his chest and moaned at the friction caused by his chest hair grazing along her sensitive nipples. She broke the kiss, breathless, and his lips automatically sought her neck. She felt him suck at the spot he had claimed yesterday, marking her, and she felt tingles run up and down her body, all the way to her toes. Instinctively, but still tentatively, she brought up her knee, giving Daryl better access to the cradle of her hips. She felt his weight press against her, loving the feel of him so close to her. She could feel his hard on press against her and couldn’t help but smile.

Daryl kissed her sweet mouth again then shot her his wolf-like grin as he began to kiss his way down her chest, paying homage to her breasts once again. His hand ran up her thigh to her knee then to her calf, gently moving her leg so it was flat along the bed again. He teased the skin of her stomach with his lips, teeth and tongue before reaching the waistband of her pants. He kneeled up on the bed, straddling her legs. He ran his hands along her torso, then curled his fingers under the elastic, and stopped, looking up at her. Beth took a deep breath, then nodded. She raised her hips off the bed, making it easier to remove her pajama pants. He left her panties on…for now.

Daryl crawled up to be even with her again. His right hand roamed all over her body as he kissed her passionately. He covered her skin in long, languid strokes, stoking the fire that was building between her legs. She jumped slightly as his fingers reached the elastic of her panties, then down to trace her hip, down to her knee, and teased the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. He grazed over the fabric of her panties and repeated the motions on her other leg, before ghosting over her most sensitive part. Her legs pressed together, trying to trap his hand there.

Daryl chuckled at her attempt, then brought his hand to her stomach. His fingers slid underneath the elastic of her panties, then froze. He looked up at her; her eyes were shut tight, her brows knitted together. He waited until she opened her eyes and looked at him. “You still okay?”

“Yeah…just…nervous.”

He kissed her softly. “It’s okay, baby. I’ll go slow. If you want to stop, just say. I promise.”

“Okay,” she whispered, a shaking hand reaching up to his neck, pulling him down for another kiss.

Daryl shifted his weight off her, laying pressed up next to her. His hand slid further down, his long fingers cupping her womanhood. He slid one finger between her lips, parting them slightly, and felt her tense up right away. He waited until her breath caught up to her and felt her relax again before stroking between her folds, amazed at how hot and wet she was already. His finger rubbed lightly against her sensitive nub, causing her to gasp loudly and grip at his shoulder again.

He kissed her deeply, then slid one finger into the place that wept for him. She bucked against the unfamiliar pressure; his mouth swallowed her moan. He moved his hand, sliding in and out of her. He couldn’t believe how tight she felt, and this was only his finger. He frowned slightly, knowing that if this was to go further, he was going to hurt her, and that thought alone almost caused him to put the brakes on everything.

Almost.

He pulled his finger out of her, only to add a second one. She could feel his fingers stretching her, causing her to moan again. Intuitively, she rocked her hips against his hand, needing more of him. She moved slowly, unsure of what she was supposed to do. She felt him press his thumb to her clit, and whimpered loudly, then groaned in near frustration.

“That’s it baby. Use my hand. Do what feels good,” he said against her neck as he nuzzled her there.

“I…I can’t…I don’t know how.”

“Yes you do. Your body knows. Just do what feels right.” He curled his fingers inside her, pressing against that special spot, knowing it would help her along to finding release. He wanted to make sure her first time was more than just some pain and spots of blood. He wanted her to know pleasure. He rubbed his thumb against her clit as she started moving her hips.

She was grinding against his hand, her own hands gripping at his shoulder and at the pillow beneath her. She let out moan after moan, not knowing what she needed, only that she needed more. Daryl began suckling her breast again and she whimpered, pressing her head back as her back arched away from the bed, pressing her breast closer to his seeking mouth. Her hips rocked furiously against him. Then…

Her orgasm ripped through her, white hot pleasure surging from the top of her head, through her heart, her belly, down to the tips of her toes. She let out a long, loud groan; her fingers gripped his skin, surely leaving nail marks in his shoulder. She screamed his name, clawing at his shoulder. It seemed like every muscle was tightening and relaxing at the same time.

Daryl felt her inner muscles clench around his fingers. He continued moving inside her until he felt them start to relax. Slowly, he removed his hand from her panties. He looked up at her, seeing the look of release all over her face. Her eyes were hooded with desire, and a Cheshire cat grin spread across her face.

“Oh my god. Daryl…I…I never…knew…oh my god…” she sighed breathily.

“You alright?” he asked, giving her a knowing smile.

“I am so much better than alright.” She brought her left hand up to his shoulder, almost lazily, as if all the muscles in her arm had melted.

He moved down to between her legs, and curled his fingers into the waistband of her panties. His eyes roamed over her body before meeting her eyes, still hooded in her afterglow. She looked up at him, and a new look of nervousness crossed her face. “Same deal, baby. If you want me to stop, I will.”

It almost killed him waiting for her answer. He was bracing for her rejection, frozen in anticipation.

“No, Daryl. I want this. I love you. Please…I want you to be my first…please.”

“My god,” he thought in disbelief, “is she begging for me?” He didn’t think he could have gotten any harder. Once again, Beth had proved him wrong.

His fingers gently slid the fabric down over her hips, which she had raised to help get the garment off her, and down her long, skinny legs. He backed up off the bed, hooking his thumbs into his own pants, removing them and his boxers at once. Before discarding them fully on the floor, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom. Beth had propped herself up on her elbows to watch him and gave him a quizzical look.

“I found some yesterday. Didn’t know if we’d be needing them or not. I promise, Beth, I wasn’t expecting this. It was just in case. I swear.” He knew how this looked, and it made him feel like a pervert.

Beth grinned at him, “Well, I’m glad you did. I didn’t even think about it.”

The fear in his heart released its grip at her reaction. He ripped the packet open and slid the condom over himself. He slowly crawled back on the bed, again, pressing himself to her side. She gave him another confused look.

“Before we do this, I just want to make sure you’re ready.”

“Yes, Daryl. I love you.” She pulled his face down for a kiss.

When she released her hold on him, he looked down at her, right into her eyes, and could swear he could see all the way into her soul. He kissed her again, tucked her hair behind her ear, and whispered against her lips, “Beth, I want you to know…I…I love you,” and pulled away, looking at her as if he’d just done something wrong.

Her eyes shot open in surprise, a bright smile stretching across her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, kissing him hard.

When she loosened her hold on him, he whispered, “I’ll go as gentle as I can, baby. I promise. I don’t want to hurt you, but…“

Her hand cupped his cheek. “I know, Daryl. I know. “

He moved down the bed, kneeling between her legs, placing a hand on each of her knees and gently urging them apart. She watched him with wide eyes; he could tell she was nervous. He grabbed his cock and pressed against her warm, wet opening, then lay on top of her, bracing his arms on either side of her, keeping his weight off of her. He felt her tense up beneath him and whispered, “Relax, sweetheart. Just relax. You ready?” She let go of a low breath and nodded.

He slid into her quickly, like pulling off a band-aid, getting through the worst part all at once. Her fingers gripped his shoulders in desperation, her face scrunched in pain, a raw moan escaping her lips. He rained down tender kisses all over her face and neck, whispering, “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry. I promise, it’ll feel better soon.” He stayed perfectly still, letting her tender flesh get accustomed to his size inside of her.

Eventually Beth relaxed her grip on his shoulders, the pained look starting to disappear from her face. Excruciatingly slowly, Daryl started to withdraw from her until he had almost pulled out from her completely, then, just as slowly, slid back into her. The sweet friction was sheer ecstasy as he entered her fully. He grit his teeth and began to pull out again, just as slowly. He promised he’d be gentle with her, and he would keep that promise if it killed him. He slid back into her, fighting to keep control. He didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to keep up this kind of pace. He needed her, all of her, now.

As if she could read his mind, she began to rock her hips against his. They met each other perfectly, and he groaned with pure desire for her. He leaned further into her, pressing their bodies together, wrapping one arm around her lower back, and the other around her shoulders, He needed to feel all of her against him.

“I love you so much, Beth. God you feel amazing. Absolutely perfect” He began to increase the tempo of his thrusts into her, and her head tilted back as she let out a string of breathy moans into his ear. “That’s it baby…yes…please, baby…please,” not knowing quite what he was asking for, only that he needed more of her.

Beth brought her knees up higher and asked, “Like this?”

The simple motion allowed for Daryl to reach deeper into her, but it still wasn’t enough. He grabbed her knee and dragged it up and hitched it above his hip, guiding her calf to wrap around his waist. “God, yes, baby…oh, fuck yes…” He began to thrust harder and faster into her.

“Oh…Daryl…” she moaned into his ear, then tightened her grip around his neck. “You feel so good inside me.”

Her words sent him over the edge. He finally found his release, his hips rocking hard against hers. He buried his face in the pillow next to her head, muffling his groans of pleasure. When he had finished, he rested his forehead against her shoulder.

After a moment, he propped himself up on his elbows and slowly withdrew from her. She let out a soft moan at the sudden empty feeling inside her. He leaned down and kissed Beth soundly on the lips. He reached down and removed the used condom, tying it off and depositing it into the trashcan next to the bed. He took her into his arms again, looked intently at her and asked,  
“Are you okay?”

Beth smiled, then nodded and ran a hand through his hair, now damp with sweat. “I’m okay. I had no idea it could be like that.”

He dropped another quick kiss on her lips and said, “I didn’t either.”

“I love you, Daryl”

He looked down at her sweet face. He was still in awe that this beautiful, amazing woman deemed him worthy to be with her - to be her first. He still didn’t think he deserved her, but swore to himself he’d spend the rest of his life trying to prove he did.

“I love you, Beth.” He chuckled, “Guess that makes you my first, too.”

Her heart caught in her chest. She hugged him to her, running her fingers up and down his back as she kissed him with everything she had in her.

He moved himself off her, and positioned her so her head was lying on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. He heard her yawn before she stretched her arm across his chest, curling into him completely, her leg curled up across his body. He’d never been one to cuddle before, but he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather do than stay in bed with this woman as long as he could.

Daryl listened to the rain continue to pelt down on the windows as they drifted off to sleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they got there - YAY! I was pretty darn nervous about this chapter, too. Seriously, I read through this three times to make sure it was perfect…  
> As always, I do not own any part of The Walking Dead. Also, the song Beth sang is “Raining on Sunday” by Keith Urban, which I also own no part of.   
> Oh…you didn’t think I’d forgotten about Joe and the boys, did you? We’re just gonna have to see what happens…


	15. Chapter 15

Daryl awoke later that morning to a warm, brushing sensation across his chest. He opened his eyes to find Beth resting her head on his shoulder, her hand stroking her fingers through the hair on his chest. Her smell, sweet and feminine, invaded his senses. He smiled as he pulled his arm tighter around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Hey," he said softly.

Beth smiled and looked up at him. "Hey," she replied, her voice low and husky.

She was absolutely glowing with happiness, which made Daryl positively elated. In the time they'd spent together, all he'd wanted to do was to take care of her, make sure she was safe. He felt he owed it to her, to Hershel, to the rest of the group, to protect her. Now, there was more to it. She was all his and he was hers. She had given herself to him so freely. In exchange he handed over his heart, knowing it would be forever safe with her. He knew Beth would never hurt him; she was far too good a person to cause any harm to anyone. Now he just had to work on believing it when she said he deserved her.

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. "How ya feelin'?" concern etched onto his face as he pulled away.

She smiled up at him again. "I'm fine, Daryl. Promise." She reached up to kiss him again, trying to kiss his worry away. Yes, it had hurt, but it was a glorious pain that gave way to more pleasure than she could have imagined. The mere thought of how he made her feel had her wanting him again. She could feel a fluttering low in her belly, accompanied by a warm sensation between her legs. She licked at his lips, deepening the kiss, hoping to get her message across.

Daryl couldn't ignore the insistency of her kiss. She had scooted herself up on the bed, then moved her leg across his lower abdomen, effectively straddling him, her breasts pressed up against him. He ran his hands across her lower back, tracing his fingers on one hand up to her shoulder, pulling her close to him. His other hand held fast to her hip, anchoring her there. He pulled away from her mouth, feathering kisses along her jawline, murmuring in her ear, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to get me all kinds o' riled up."

Beth grinned as his words, low and wicked, sent chills down her spine. She pulled back slightly and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Are you complaining?"

He smirked up at her. Hell no, he wouldn't complain. "No, ma'am." He pulled her earlobe between his lips, then lightly bit down with his teeth. He felt her react, felt her gasp against him as her body broke out in goose bumps. He ran the tip of his tongue along her jawline before sliding into her sweet mouth again.

She wiggled against him, her wet slit teasing against the head of his erection. His fingertips ground into her hips. He pulled her away from him. "Whoa, there, sweetheart."

Beth couldn't hide the look of disappointment on her face. Had she done something wrong? Didn't he want her anymore? She hated the feeling of rejection creeping over and through her. She asked nervously, "What's wrong? What did I do?"

He saw the worry on her features and almost regretted stopping her. It was necessary that he did, though. "Ya didn't do nothin' wrong. I just need to make a quick pit stop and grab something before we go any further." He gently lifted her off him, kissing her as he moved her back to the bed.

Relief washed over her. She was almost embarrassed; she should have known he was only thinking of her safety – that's what he did. She watched as he rolled out of bed, watching his naked form cross the room out the door, and definitely enjoyed the view. He looked so sexy as he strode confidently around the room in all his naked glory. Beth let out a little giggle at the sight of his bare butt, and stopped when he turned and glared at her over his shoulder, smirking at her before shaking his head. She didn't care, and kept the smile plastered on her face. He rolled his eyes and made his way down the hallway.

As he left the room, she pulled her knees up to her chest and covered herself with the sheet and comforter. The rain outside left a chill in the air, and without Daryl there next to her, she felt the cold against her skin. As she pulled up her knees, she noticed a dull ache low in her abdomen. It was mildly uncomfortable, but deliciously so. She smiled to herself, not minding the pain in the least. Daryl had told her once about Joe's group claiming what they wanted. It was weird, but she loved the feeling of being claimed by Daryl, in every sense of the word. Her smile spread wider, her thoughts turning back to their love making earlier, when he re-entered the room. He crossed to the bed, paused to sheathe himself, and took his place next to her beneath the covers. "Miss me?" he said with a smile.

"More than you know," she said, draping her arm across his chest, loving the feel of his skin against hers. He wrapped his arms around her then laid back on the pillow, pulling her on top of him again, picking up right where they'd left off. She swung her leg over his hips, kissing him along his jaw, down his neck and his chest. Her tongue swirled around his nipple, earning her a gasp as Daryl's breath caught in his throat.

He ran his fingers through her hair, pulling her face to him, murmuring, "Yer playin' dirty, girl," with a wicked smile as he ran his lips along the same course she had taken, kissing, licking, tasting his way to her stiff, pink nipples. She sighed loudly and bucked her hips against him. Daryl ran his fingertips across her shoulders and down her back, resting on her hips. "You sure you're ready? Not too sore?"

"I'm a little sore, but not sore enough to stop," she said, flashing that Cheshire cat grin at him.  
Daryl moved one hand lower to stroke between her thighs. He didn't want to go further if she wasn't fully ready. The pads of his finger slid firmly along her clit. The sudden pressure caused Beth to arch her back and throw her head back, crying out at the sensation. He reached further, curling his finger up into her. "Mmm...you're so wet for me already."

"I'm not sure what to do," she said softly, her eyes lowering, focusing on her hands on his chest.

"Just like last night, sweetheart. Do what feels good. Here," he said as he pulled his finger from her and wrapped his hand around the base of his cock, holding it still and upright for her. His other hand guided her hip, helping to line her up to lower herself onto him. "It's all up to you. Go as fast or as slow as you want."

"But I can't..."

"Yes you can. I don't wanna hurt you more than I already have. You're the one who's sore; you know how far you can go. You can do this. I promise." His erection started twitching in anticipation before their bodies had even met.

Beth began to lower herself and felt the tip brush against her clit. It felt good, but that's not what she wanted...not what she needed. She readjusted until she felt him press at her opening, dripping with want for him. She began to slide down, letting him fill her slowly, wincing slightly at the pressure. She had to stop and catch her breath, not realizing she'd been holding it. Daryl pulled his hand away. She forced herself to relax and continued, her head thrown back and her jaw dropping as her hips met his. She tentatively moved up and down, feeling the pressure start to lessen with each movement as her body got used to being filled with him again. She chanced a glance at the man below her, his eyes closed in...was it pain? She stopped moving. "What's wrong?"

Daryl's eyes opened slowly, pinning her with a look full of desire. His hands ran from her knees, up and down her thighs, and finally resting on her hips. "Ain't nothin' wrong. Yer doin' fine. But God damn, Beth. You're so tight it's incredible. And you lookin' all sexy on top o' me...not sure how long I'm gonna last, baby."

She leaned forward to kiss him, resting her hands on his shoulders. This new angle made it easier for her to move. As she did, she realized it created a wonderful friction, rubbing her clit against his pubic bone. She continued grinding against him, letting out sighs and moans as she felt a delicious pressure start to build low in her belly.

Daryl ran his hands from her hips, up and down her back, then back down past her hips, cupping her ass as she moved against him. It took all his strength to keep his hips still, wanting to let her ride this out, so to speak. All he wanted to do was thrust into her, hard and fast, burying himself in her, but he knew that's not what she needed right now. Instead, he slid his hands up her sides and cupped her breasts, kneading her soft flesh, teasing her tender nipples in turn. She let out a low groan as he brought his mouth to her to further tantalize her delicate peaks. He felt her start to bounce harder on him, could hear her breathing quicken as he continued licking at her, alternating from one breast to the other. He reached up, threading his fingers through her hair, looking up at her, appreciating the look of bliss on her angelic face, before bringing her down for a scorching kiss. He heard her groan in frustration, and he looked up at her.

"Daryl...I can't...I can't...please..." she moaned in between her panting breaths.

"Here, baby...here." He snaked his hand between them until his fingers came to the place where they were joined, curving up to stroke her clit for her.

"Oh my god! Oh...Daryl..." she whimpered. He knew she was getting close...hell he was almost there himself. "Oh...God...yes..." she squealed out in pleasure before releasing a long moan as she climaxed.

Daryl felt her body tighten around him, milking his own release from him. He kept his hand busy between her thighs, letting her ride out her orgasm as he found his, calling out her name as he came. He had never felt anything like this. Not even close.

Beth, completely spent, collapsed against his chest, and his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly to him. After a moment he brought his hands to her face, gently brushing away the hair that had fallen in front of her beautiful eyes and perfect smile. He softly kissed her already swollen lips, and left a trail of kisses along her jaw and down her neck before fitting her head in the space where his neck met his shoulder. Slowly, their breathing returned to normal.

"Damn, girl," he said, as he rubbed his hands up and down her back.

"What?" Beth sounded apprehensive, but amused at the same time. "Did I do okay?"

"Okay?" he looked at her, flabbergasted. "Let's just say you're a real quick study. That was...incredible. We keep that up and you may well be the death of me."

"Well, we wouldn't want that. Guess we'll just have to stop," she teased, grinning at him before starting to move off him.

"Like hell!" He tightened his grip on her, holding her still against him. "You may be a quick learner, but I've got a thing or two to teach ya still."

"Oh, is that so?" she asked tauntingly, her eyebrows high on her forehead. "And just when will my next lesson be?"

"Oh, don't you worry your pretty little head about that. 'Sides, we're burnin' daylight and still got half a hallway to go through and clear out."

Beth groaned at the thought of leaving the bed, of leaving Daryl's arms. She could stay here forever. "Do we have to?"

Daryl smiled up at her. He wanted to cave, to let her have her way, to keep her in bed with him, but they had to keep going. "Yeah, we gotta. Come on, darlin'. Up and at 'em" he said, adding a playful smack to her ass. She looked down on him, almost in shock, then a grin crept across her face as she leaned down for another kiss.

"Alright, but only because I love you," she murmured against his lips.

He smiled back at her, and said, "I love you, too, angel. Come on, let's go."

XXXXX

After searching all day yesterday, getting a late start on dinner, and not getting much sleep the night before, Joe and the boys were moving slowly this morning. Each man found some food for a small breakfast, packed up what few belongings they had, and headed back toward the train tracks. They had agreed the night before to continue their trek toward Terminus, figuring Daryl might've taken Beth there for the supposed security, and if not, they were fairly certain Lou's murderer would be there, either way.

They realized when they got closer to the tracks just how much cover the trees really provided. There was a steady rain falling out in the open area, but in the woods they barely felt anything. Trudging through the trees, the group followed the tracks, continuing where they had left off two days before.

XXXXX

It seemed to take forever, but it was only a matter of hours before the Claimers finally found a place to stay for the night. A tiny town came up ahead of them on the left. A single road crossed the tracks, leading into what probably used to be the busy main street of the town. Most of the buildings were brick; several had been boarded up already.

They didn't have a lot of time to look around. The light was fading quickly, and they were exhausted from traveling so far without a break, trudging through the mud all day. The rain had let up, but only slightly.

As luck would have it, on the corner was what looked like a two-story warehouse. The door was standing open. They made quick work of sweeping through both levels, taking out the few walkers that had wandered in. Chester suggested they all spend the night upstairs, leaving them less vulnerable if any more made their way into the building. The group grumbled their assent. Tim and Tony worked to close the main door, but it had been torn off one of its hinges, so it was basically a moot point. They joined the rest of the group upstairs.

There wasn't much up there as far as...well, anything. The entire place was void of anything they could use for warmth, food, supplies. Hell, there wasn't even a place to sit besides the floor. It had plenty of windows, which made it a good look out spot, but provided very little else. One of the windows had been knocked out; shattered glass littered the sidewalk below. This allowed for some rain to come in, but not much; it certainly didn't keep any of the wind out. Still, they weren't sitting in the dirt or mud, and were decently secure.

They decided to go exploring through town to look for food or supplies in the morning once the rain had let up.

Joe took first watch. It wasn't dark out yet, but they weren't going anywhere soon – might as well let the guys start catching up on sleep. He scanned up and down the street, noticing another handful of walkers. Well, they had been walkers; now they were just rotting bodies lying around a group of cars that had been circled up. He couldn't give two shits about the owners of the cars, but he couldn't help wonder who had left those bodies just pile up like that. There had to be someone else in this town. His trigger finger itched as he wondered who it was.


	16. Chapter 16

Daryl and Beth crawled out of bed, helping each other get dressed, sneaking kisses here and there along the way. They grabbed a quick lunch, having slept and loved through any reasonable breakfast time, and set back to work going through the rest of the apartments, Beth returning to the manager’s apartment to sort through anything Daryl would bring back to her.

They had amassed quite a stockpile of food; there was a wide variety of canned goods, fruits, veggies and meats, more peanut butter than Daryl was really ready to even think about eating, more stale cereal, some water bottles and even some very flat, very warm soda. While there wasn’t much variety, there was at least enough to get them through a week or so without having to hunt. 

Beth was folding the clothes Daryl had brought her, some warmer, some lighter. For such a rough and tough redneck, she had to admit he had decent taste in clothes. Everything he had given her was just her size. Either everyone who had lived here was exactly the same size as Beth, or Daryl was going through and finding things just for her. She smiled to herself as the realization hit her that the latter was probably more truthful than not. 

After a couple hours, Daryl returned to the apartment, dropping off another armful and announced, “Well, that’s about all. Not a ton else we can use, at least not that we can carry with us. I did find a couple things, just fer fun, though.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a deck of cards and a crossword puzzle book. Her smile stretched from ear to ear. “Figure we could use ’em to help pass the time or whatever.” 

“You think we’d ever run out of things to do?” she looked up at him and smiled suggestively, raising one eyebrow.

“Damn, girl. I’ve created a monster. I ain’t as young as I used to be. Man needs to recharge once in a while.” He couldn’t help but smile back at her, and his heart leapt in his chest at the idea that Beth wanted him again. He sat next to her, stretching his legs out in front of him, his thigh running alongside hers. “I found this for ya, too. Was hiding in a chest of drawers.” He reached back and pulled a pistol from behind his back. He showed her that the safety was still on and handed it over to her. “You ever shot one before?”

“Uh…did you forget about how we lost the prison? You handed me a gun,” she said teasingly.

“You sassin’ me now?” he asked with mock incredulity, but smiled back at her. “If you remember, princess, I handed you an M4A1 assault rifle. This happens to be a 10 millimeter Glock. Not a ton of kickback, decent accuracy. How’s it feel?”

Beth weighed the gun in her hands. She held it out as if she was aiming at something on the other side of the room, making sure to keep her index finger along the barrel of the gun, not on the trigger, the way Rick had taught her back at the farmhouse. “It’s good. Thank you.”

“Here,” Daryl offered his hand to her to help her stand. She’d been sitting cross-legged for too long, so she wobbled a little as she stood, the blood returning to her feet, giving that pins and needles feeling. Daryl placed his hands on her waist, steadying her, not doing much to hide his grin from her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, just momentarily, before bringing them back around to the front.   
Beth realized he was fastening a holster around her hips. She couldn’t stop the sudden intake of breath as his knuckles brushed against her stomach as he fastened the buckle on the belt. She looked up at him, but Daryl was all business - not that that stopped her nipples from pebbling at being so close to him, or her breath to come in short, heavy gasps. She placed the pistol in the holster and placed her hands lightly on top of his. His eyes shot up at her, surprised at first, then softening as he smiled at her, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. She reached up and cradled his cheek in her hand, bringing him down to meet her for a quick kiss. “Thank you.”

“Ain’t nothin’. Figured you need something to protect yourself that has a little more reach than yer knife.” He thought back to the night she’d been kidnapped and wondered if it would have all gone differently if she’d had a gun back then. No point in rehashing the past. She was here now; she was his. He pressed another kiss against her lips, then pulled back, knowing there was still work to be done. “C’mon. Let’s get some of this stuff packed up. Need to be ready to go…just in case.”

“In case of what?” Beth had figured they’d be staying in the apartment building for a long while, especially with winter coming up. She thought it was decently secure, and they were definitely well-stocked here. 

“Hell, we don’t know who’s all out there. If Joe and them were to show up all a’sudden. If there’s other people livin’ in this town that decide they don’t want us here. Better safe than sorry.” He wasn’t mad at her or anything. He just had to keep her safety as his top priority, even above his own. 

“You really think there’s other people still here in town?” Beth asked, apprehension heavy in her voice. They’d seen a handful of walkers in the street, but absolutely no signs of life since they’d been here. Granted, they hadn’t explored outside the building since entering it.

“Dunno. Could be. Only one way to find out. Ya wanna go exploring? We’ve still got some sunlight left.” He knew he should probably leave her in the safety of the apartment, but didn’t want to have her out of sight and ear shot ever again. Wandering through apartments down the hall was one thing. Going up and down streets in a strange town was completely different.

“Yeah. Okay. Let’s go.” Beth made sure her new gun and her knife were secured along her hips, then followed Daryl down the hall and downstairs.

XXXXX

Tim had seen them first. 

Everyone had been up for a couple hours now, but the rain from last night had hardly let up, and no one in the group felt inclined to go wandering through the muddy woods or through the run-down shops to try and find something to eat. Now that the weather had decided to cooperate, the men could start working on finding food.

Doing their best to control their hunger as they moved down the street, the Claimers took out walkers as necessary, not wanting to expend any excessive energy. They started on the same side of the street as the empty warehouse they’d spent the night in, planning on coming up the other side of the street on the return trip. They decided if a door was already standing open, there wouldn’t be much hope for anything useful inside, so they’d just pass looking in only to make sure there weren‘t any walkers standing around ready to stumble out onto the sidewalk and come after them. There were a couple shops still closed up; they busted down the doors, taking no real regard in preserving any sanctity within, nor taking any care to really conceal their presence.

A couple blocks down, Tim saw the slight woman and larger man with something strapped to his back crossing the street, hurrying into a building. He couldn’t make out any details; the afternoon sun was glaring down on the rain-slick street, causing him to squint hard against the blinding glare. He tapped Joe on the shoulder and pointed in their direction. Joe acknowledged his discovery silently, motioning to the group to follow them. 

They finally reached the doorway and saw the two figures standing in the back of the dark store, their backs toward the door. Joe walked in, stepping heavily, menacingly, chuckling wickedly, “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” He hadn’t drawn his weapon; he knew the men behind him would have it covered.

He heard their feet shuffle as the two of them turned to face the front of the store. After being in the bright sun and suddenly walking into the too-dark store, he still couldn’t see the pair, but heard the woman say softly, “Please…we don’t want any trouble. Just please let us go.” 

“Well, fat, fucking chance on that, bitch.” Tony spit out at her. “You’re about to find out what happens when you break the rules.”

She sounded confused as she asked, “And what rule did we break?”

“You said you would be on watch. You left us out there completely unguarded, ya stupid cunt.” Chester was yelling at her at this point. “That’s lying. Number one rule - don’t lie. Ain‘t that right, Joe?”

“I reckon so. Yer little plan didn’t work, though. We survived the night, no thanks to you, and we found your sorry asses anyway. Your sorry, lyin‘, good for nothin’ asses. Teach ’em, boys. Teach ‘em all the way.” Joe said, his voice dripping with malice.

“I don’t fuckin’ think so,” growled a low voice that came from behind them. Before they could turn around all the way to see who had come up behind them, Tony had an arrow sticking out of the side of his temple.   
Chester turned and took a knife to the middle of his chest, just off center. His breath gurgled out of his mouth, his lung punctured, blood bubbling up as he tried to draw breath, then seeping from the corners his mouth. Beth shoved him with all her might into Tim standing next to him. Caught unaware and still confused as to what the hell was going on around him, Tim stumbled under Chester’s sudden weight to the floor.  
Mac and Joe were left standing, facing Daryl and Beth’s silhouettes at the door, both their weapons drawn and aimed at them. “You son of a bi---” Joe started to yell, before a Bowie knife came from behind and slit his throat. Mac looked in shock as Joe fell to the ground when a sickening crunch was heard - the sound of a blunt object coming down hard on a man’s skull. Mac dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks.  
Daryl walked over to Tim, still struggling with panic under Chester’s dead weight. “Mother fuckers,” he muttered before releasing a bolt straight into the man’s eye.

The whole thing had lasted a little more than a minute, and not a single gunshot was fired. Beth turned in time to drive her knife into the soft skull of a walker who had heard Joe’s yell from earlier, then checked in the immediate vicinity for more before closing the store front door. As she did, the two in the back made their way into the light.

Daryl could hardly believe his eyes. Standing before him was Carol and Tyreese. Tyreese wiped Mac’s blood and gray matter off the business end of his hammer before returning it to the loop of his carpenter pants. Carol cleaned the edge of her knife on her pants before checking behind Tyreese, smiling, then facing the two at the door. Her jaw dropped in disbelief. “Daryl?” she whispered.

“Holy shit! Carol?” Daryl stepped forward, shouldering his crossbow, walking around the bodies of the men on the floor. He wrapped his arms around the older woman’s shoulders, pulling her tightly to him, then backed up and hugged Tyreese, clapping him on the back. 

“Careful!” Carol cried. Daryl stepped back in alarm. Carol put her hands on Tyreese’s shoulders, turning him, and Daryl saw what the fuss was all about; there, strapped to his back, was a little bundle…a bundle with curling brown hair and chubby little arms and legs. 

“Oh my god! Beth, look!” He turned to see Beth crouched over one of the men, her knife still out. He suddenly realized she was still taking care of these men, stabbing them all in the head before they could reanimate. In the excitement of being reunited with two of his friends, he’d forgotten protocol and neglected to make sure the men were good and truly dead. A feeling of shame overtook him. So much for protecting her. Here she was, protecting all of them. 

She wiped her blade on Joe’s vest and stood up, looking stronger and more powerful than he’d ever seen her. She looked up and smiled brightly as she stepped around the bodies, crossing the floor to hug Carol and Tyreese, when she stopped short. Her eyes finally fell on the bundle on Tyreese’s back; her breath left her as her eyes welled up with tears of joy. There was her precious baby Judith. Beth squealed at the sight of her, reaching out to pick her up and hold her close, relishing the smell of her, the feel of how she fit so naturally against her hip again. She silently prayed thanks to god for bringing this little baby back to her, safely and in one piece. She pressed kiss after kiss on Judith’s soft hair as the baby babbled sweetly and wrapped her tiny fingers in the end of Beth’s ponytail. 

Daryl couldn’t tear his eyes away from the two of them. He smiled widely at them, trying his hardest to fight back the tears pricking his eyes. He stepped close to Beth and wrapped his strong arms around the pair of them. He kissed the top of Judith’s head then looked over Beth next to him and asked, “What happened? Where’d you guys end up?”

Carol gave Daryl a questioning look, then shared a glance with Tyreese, before smiling knowingly back at Daryl. “Is there somewhere else we can go to catch up?”

Beth beamed at them, stepping out of Daryl’s arms and wrapping one of hers around Carol in a tight hug. “Of course! Oh, Carol, it’s so good to see you! And Tyreese!” She released Carol and moved to the large man, trying to pull him into a hug, but only managing to get her arm halfway around his waist. “Come on, let’s get you guys inside and comfy.”

Daryl smiled at how happy Beth was. He realized she’d been right; at least these three had survived. Maybe he did just need to have a little faith, just needed to believe that the rest of the group would be together again one day. 

He lead them across the street to the apartment building. He’d ask Tyreese to help him take care of the bodies later. Right now, there were still lots of questions to be asked, lots of catching up to do. For now, Daryl was just happy to have part of his family back.


	17. Chapter 17

Daryl opened up the manager’s apartment and welcomed Tyreese and Carol in. Beth came in last, still holding Judith on her hip. He couldn’t help but smile at her. Beth exuded happiness, and he was happy that she was happy. It didn’t escape him that she had been right - there were other survivors from the prison. Maybe the rest of them were out there, too. Daryl didn’t want to get his hopes up, but as of late, this whole faith thing that Beth was so adamant about might just pay off.

Beth handed Judith off to Daryl and began to prepare a meal for the four of them. He held the baby a little awkwardly at first, until she settled against him and started cooing and babbling at him, waving her tiny fists excitedly in the air as she looked up at him. “Hey there, sweetheart. You been a good li’l ass-kicker for Carol and Tyreese?” She grinned and gurgled up at him, her smile contagious; Daryl’s own smile widened as he adjusted her to lay upright along his chest, her bottom resting in the crook of his arm. 

Carol took a seat at the small dining room table, cracking open a bottle of water that Beth had offered her. “She’s been as good as gold. Such a good baby,” she smiled and reached up to straighten Judith’s shirt. Daryl felt her fingers brush against his arm, but thought nothing of it. Carol got up to grab the can of formula from her bag to make Judith a bottle.

“Here, Carol, I can do that. You eat!” Beth brought over a couple bowls of the vegetable soup she had heated over the tiny stovetop, along with spoons, and set them in front of Carol and Tyreese, who had seated himself across from the older woman. “What all happened to you guys?” she asked as she brought a bowl over for Daryl along with a package of crackers for all of them, pulled a chair out so he could sit down, then set to work preparing a bottle of formula. She looked up, waiting for their answer. An odd look had crossed Carol’s face, but Beth dismissed it as her being tired and hungry, and maybe relieved at having a safe place to stay for a while, but still not trusting it. 

Tyreese spoke first. “Thanks, Beth. This looks great! Well, I was there in the yard, you know...I saw the bus pull away, then Maggie, Sasha and Bob took off together. I was all but gettin’ gunned down by two of the Governor’s people. They cornered me into that little garden we had going. All of a sudden, they stopped. I crawled up, and saw Lizzie and Mika there, guns still held high. Those two little girls saved my life. They took off, running the wrong way. Turns out they had hidden little Judy here, and ran over to get her. We all snuck off, kept makin’ our way through the woods. Long story short, Carol found us, and we started following the railroad tracks.”

“You had the girls? What happened to them?” Beth wondered out loud. She handed Daryl the bottle of formula she had prepared for Judith before starting in on her own bowl of soup.

Tyreese and Carol looked at each other from across the table. An unspoken sadness passed between them, but there was something else there. It was more than guilt; Beth couldn’t put her finger on it. Tyreese looked back down at the bowl of soup in front of him. “They didn’t make it,” he mumbled before slurping another spoonful into his mouth. Carol followed suit.

“You seen any o’ the others?” Daryl asked.

“No. Saw the signs for Terminus…and the notes from Maggie to Glenn. We knew we were on the right track to finding them.”

Daryl bristled at the mention of the note for Glenn. Beth hadn’t mentioned it since they first saw one a couple days ago. It still pissed him off something awful, now that he thought about it. He thought back to when he found out that Merle had been left on that rooftop in Atlanta, how he fought tooth and nail to try to get to him, even when he knew his brother could take care of himself, no question about it. How the hell could Maggie just forget all about her baby sister? How could she just write her off so damn easily? It didn’t seem to bother Beth any, so he tried to let it go…for now. No sense in bringing it up in present company, anyway.

“You’ve got yourself a nice little set up here. How’d you manage to find it?” Carol asked, looking up at Daryl. 

“Only been here since yesterday. Me and Beth got out together, got separated, but we found each other again.” He smiled at Beth as he said this, then continued. “Got in with the assholes you met across the street. Fuckers were no good, and I knew it, but safety in numbers, ya know? We left ‘em and wound up here. Been going through the different rooms, came up with this stockpile here.” 

“When you guys are ready, we can give you the tour,” Beth offered. She reached into Daryl’s arms to hold Judith to finish feeding her to give Daryl a chance to get some dinner in him.

“Tour? Of the town? It’s gonna be dark soon,” Tyreese replied.

“Not the town, of the building!” Beth returned with a smile. “We found the master key for all the apartments. You can have your pick of whatever room you want.”

Daryl cleared his throat. “Well…not any room they want,” he said pointedly. Beth looked up at him, a slight blush filling her cheeks. Daryl had to tear his eyes away from her as he continued. “But, uh, you can look around while there’s still light out. Pick out a bed, and go through and find some clean clothes. Seems the previous tenants came in all shapes and sizes, so ya should be able to find somethin’.” 

Carol and Tyreese had finished their meal and stood up to clean their places. Daryl fished in his pocket for the master key and gestured for them to follow him. Beth went back to their room with Judith, who was struggling to keep her sweet little eyes open. She laid the baby on the bed, bracing some of the extra pillows around her so she wouldn’t roll off. She lay down next to her, rubbing her back gently, and singing to her soothingly, until Judith fell asleep. She listened in the hallway for where the other three were.

“Man, I don’t care which room I get. As long as I get a soft bed and pillow under me, I’m happy,” Tyreese exclaimed loudly. Beth was happy to hear how excited he was at the potential for a good night’s sleep after who knows how long. Tyreese opened the door nearest him, turned and bid everyone good night, and shut himself in his room. 

Carol looked up at Daryl, crossing her arms in front of her, then looked down at her feet almost shyly. She asked him quietly, “So…which room is yours?” 

Daryl nodded in the direction of the room he and Beth had shared. He looked back at Carol and saw the trace of a scowl leave her face. He shook it off, casting wary glance at her. Something was going on with her, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “So, how’d you make it back to find Tyreese?”

Carol looked up again, surprised. “How do you mean?”

“Rick told me what happened. You weren’t at the prison when all this shit went down. Does Tyreese know what happened?”

Her face hardened, but there was a sadness there, too. “Yeah. I told him. He’s okay...we’re okay. I think he understands.”

Daryl nodded, letting the silence hang between them. After a few heavy moments, he asked, “So…which room ya want?”

Carol’s face showed a range of emotions, one after another – hope, then doubt, sadness, and anger. “Whichever. I don’t care,” she snapped at him. 

Daryl didn’t know what the hell was going on with her, but he sure as hell didn’t like being snapped at when he was pretty certain he didn’t deserve it. “Hey, what’s goin’ on with you?”

“Nothing. I’m fine. I’ll just sleep in this one,” she replied snarkily, her eyes narrowed in animosity, reaching for the nearest doorknob and finding it locked. She hung her head in frustration, cursing under her breath.

Daryl hid his smile from her as he opened the door for her. She slipped past without looking at him and slammed the door. “What in the actual fuck?” he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he walked back to his room. Something had crawled up Carol’s ass and died. He didn’t know what, but he was sure he was gonna find out sooner or later, whether he wanted to or not.

He walked in and found Beth curled up on the bed beside Judith. She looked up and smiled at him warmly. It seemed positively natural, her taking on such a maternal role, even after being separated for weeks on end. It tugged at Daryl’s heartstrings to see her like this. There was a deep thought growing in the back of his mind, but he wasn’t brave enough to address it. Not yet, anyway. Instead he just smiled back at her, leaning his shoulder against the door jamb. “How’s she doin’?”

Beth pressed a finger to her lips before whispering, “She’s sleeping.” Her eyes were so full of love for this little girl. Daryl walked over and sat gently on the bed beside Beth and pressed a kiss to her temple.  
“Where am I supposed to sleep then? You sending me away already?” Daryl asked, trying to sound teasing, but couldn’t hide the concern lacing his voice. 

Beth turned to lay on her back, looking up at him, running her hand along his arm. “I would never send you away, Daryl. We can all fit in here. Just for tonight, until we find a crib or something for Judith tomorrow.” She sat up to look at him in the eye, draping her hands over his shoulders. “I do feel bad, though.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Daryl asked, running his hands along her waist. 

“Well, it looks like we won’t be getting much alone time anymore,” she smiled sadly at him. Her bottom lip stuck out. So help him, she was actually pouting.

“Oh, don’t you worry ‘bout that, darlin’. We’ll make it work…just gotta keep you quiet,” he grinned at her before kissing her.

She moaned as he pulled away, “Mmm…I’m not sure if I can stay quiet when I’m with you.”

He leaned forward and whispered against her lips, “Guess we’ll just have to practice then,” before sealing his mouth over hers. His tongue slipped between her lips, tasting and tempting her at the same time.

Beth pushed gently on his chest, breaking their kiss. “But not tonight. Not with Judith in here!” 

Daryl released an exasperated sigh, touching his forehead to hers. “I guess you’re right. But soon…right?”

Beth giggled. She couldn’t believe a man like Daryl would want her so badly, but knew she wouldn’t be able to deny him what he wanted. She echoed what he had told her just a few nights ago, laying by the fire in the woods. “Yes, baby. Soon. Very soon,” she smiled naughtily at him. 

XXXXX

The next morning, Beth brought Judith back to the manager’s apartment and began preparing breakfast for everyone. Daryl and Tyreese had headed out to get rid of the Claimers’ bodies and scope out the town some more, something Beth and Daryl hadn’t exactly gotten around to. Beth noticed Carol was quiet, holding Judith in her lap while the baby munched on some stale cereal. Beth tried to break the silence, “I can’t believe how big she got so quick. She’ll be walking soon, don’t ya think?”

Carol didn’t even look up. “Yeah.”

Not to be discouraged, Beth tried again, “I’m sure there’s some kind of clothing store or a baby store or something in town. We can go and look for some warmer clothes for her so she doesn’t have to be wrapped up in blankets all the time. Hopefully we can find her a crib or something.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Beth’s patience was starting to wear thin. She knew Carol was probably just tired, but they were all tired; it didn’t give her the right to be all surly. “Carol, is something wrong?” she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.

“No. Everything’s fine,” Carol replied icily. The look on her face was crystal clear to Beth; the glare in Carol’s eyes all but screamed, “Leave me alone.”

Beth turned back to heating a can of chicken meat and some vegetables for everyone’s breakfast. She wished she could make something like pancakes or bacon and eggs, but there wasn’t much hope for that anymore…unless they happened to find a place with actual livestock. She had just started plating the food when she heard Daryl and Tyreese coming up the stairs. She turned as they entered the apartment.  
“Everything go okay?” she asked them.

Daryl crossed to her and kissed her forehead. “Sure did. Met a couple walkers on the way, but nothing we couldn’t handle.”

Tyreese held up a bag that looked weighed down with something. “Plus we got all these. Not a lot, but it’ll help.” He opened up the bag and displayed all the weapons the Claimers had had on them, plus any other useful items they had. “Not like they’re gonna use ‘em anymore,” he added with a mocking grin.

Daryl went to grab a plate full of food and Beth playfully slapped his hand away. “You two were just handling dead bodies and you aren’t gonna clean your hands before you eat?” Beth chastised him with mock disgust. 

“Well, it’s not like we got soap and runnin’ water here, darlin’” Daryl replied. Carol’s sharp scoff of disdain dampened any kind of playful mood they’d been trying to set. 

Beth looked at the older woman, then to Daryl with concern. “Well, at least wipe your hands on a towel or something. Get the grime off before you eat,” she said, casting a small smile up at him, but letting it drop immediately. Apparently Carol was still in a mood, and it seemed to be directed at Beth, so she didn’t want to provoke her. 

Daryl saw the look Beth gave him, seeing that she had picked up on Carol’s odd behavior, too. He looked Beth full in the face, trying to convey that she shouldn’t worry. “Yes, ma’am,” he said with half a smile, and grabbed a towel that was hanging from one of the drawer pulls. He tossed it to Tyreese when he had sufficiently cleaned his hands.

The two of them brought over the plates of food, and everyone tucked in. The silence that hung in the room was palpable. The only one who didn’t seem to notice was Judith, who seemed to be happy to be out of the pouch Carol and Tyreese had fashioned for her. Her chubby little hands reached for more pieces of cereal and brought them clumsily to her mouth, now showing more teeth than Beth remembered her having. Judith slapped her hands playfully on the table as she chewed, babbling all the while, drawing a smile from everyone at the table, Carol included.

As they finished eating their breakfast, the four of them began discussing the game plan. While a part of Beth wanted to continue on to Terminus to try to find Maggie and Glenn, a bigger part had no interest in leaving the safety of what they already had. Daryl said he would rather stay in this town and try to make a go of it. Tyreese seemed to feel the same way as Daryl, and Carol only showed her indifference with a non-committal shrug. That being decided, Beth suggested that first they find a crib and some warmer clothes for Judith. Daryl agreed with her, apparently a little too quickly for Carol’s taste, made apparent by yet another scoff and a pointed look. 

Daryl had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something he would probably regret later, but he hated this animosity coming toward him and Beth. Carol was his friend, or at least she had been, and he couldn’t figure out where this new attitude was coming from. He wasn’t about to call her out in front of everyone. 

Daryl recommended that he, Tyreese and Carol went into town while Beth stayed inside with Judith, who was starting to act sleepy and in need of a nap. Beth accepted his suggestion, not wanting to be apart from him, but trusted that everyone would be alright, especially with the newly added weapons from the Claimers. She would finish sorting through everything they had found in the building while the other three were out in the town.

Beth brought the fussy baby to the bedroom in the manager’s apartment, surrounding her with pillows as she had last night. Daryl followed her in, closing the door behind him quietly before coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a kiss on her neck. Beth turned around in his arms and placed her hands on his broad shoulders. “Hey, you,” she purred.

“Hey yourself,” Daryl said, his voice low and sexy and just for her. He planted a kiss on her lips, but pulled back before they got too carried away. “You okay?” he asked, seeing that Beth looked distraught, his own concern crossing his features.

“Yeah...just don’t know what’s going on with Carol. Did I do something?” Beth asked, her worry evident in her voice.

Daryl looked down at her, his eyes full of sympathy for her. Instead of being angry at Carol for slighting her every chance she got since she’d been here, Beth was only concerned for others, as usual. He couldn’t help but smile at the woman in his arms. “No, sweetheart. You didn’t do nothin’. Somethin’s eatin’ her up, and I don’t know what it is. I’ll figure it out, ask her what’s goin’ on. Whatever it is, she’s got no good reason ta be upset with you, so if nothin’ else, I’ll try an’ set her straight. If we’re gonna be livin’ under the same roof again, we need ta get along, don’t ya think?”

Beth pulled Daryl down for a kiss. “Thank you, Daryl. I hate people bein’ mad at me...especially when I don’t know what I did.”

“I know, sweetheart. I know. We’ll fix it, don’t worry.”

Beth released him from her hold around his shoulders, letting her fingers trace over his biceps before resting along his elbows. “You guys be careful out there today. Just ‘cause we haven’t seen a ton of walkers don’t mean they aren’t hiding somewhere. Come back to me...and soon,” she added, raising a suggestive eyebrow at him.

Daryl took the hint and kissed her over her hickey before murmuring in her ear, “Yes ma’am.” He pulled back and shot her that sexy grin that always seemed to make her blush. “Love you.”

Beth’s blush deepened as the corners of her mouth crept upward. “Love you, too. Now get goin’.” Daryl turned to walk out the door; as he did, Beth swatted playfully at his butt. Daryl jumped a little, then turned back to look at her over his shoulder. Beth smiled flirtatiously. “How does it feel?”

“Oh...you’ll get yours later, girly,” he grinned back at her, then opened the door and headed back to where Carol and Tyreese were waiting. “Ready to go? Let’s head out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, can you feel the tension? Man, the muse was being an absolute bitch for this chapter. I can’t help but wonder if it’s because we're so far into the hiatus already so I’m losing connection to the characters, or if it’s because I’ve been reading too many other wonderful fanfics. Wait a minute...too many fanfics? Impossible.  
> Oh yeah, as per usual, I don’t own Walking Dead or any characters therein. Dang it.


	18. Chapter 18

Daryl, Tyreese and Carol made their way through the town, taking out the occasional walker as they went. Daryl wondered why they hadn’t seen more of the undead, but figured most had ended up walking off through the woods in search of fresh meat. The few walkers that had remained obviously hadn’t eaten anything…or any one…in a long time. Eventually they made their way to a couple shops sitting on the main street of the town, old mom and pop stores. A town this size didn’t have enough draw for any kind of chain store. They could have easily gone through each of the stores, but Daryl didn’t want to leave Beth and Judith alone any longer than was necessary. Hell, if he was honest, he just didn’t want to be away from Beth for any amount of time. That woman had worked her way under his skin and invaded every corner of his mind, every part of his long-neglected heart.

Tyreese spotted a faded, but still colorful, sign a block or so down the street - “Bundles of Joy.” They quick-stepped to the door, finding it closed but not locked. Cautiously, Daryl turned the knob and gently pushed the door open. He scanned the shop, looking for movement, but found none. Daryl brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled, hoping the sound would bring any walkers to the front of the store. He thought it’d be better to meet any surprises where the three of them could easily get away rather than when they’re surrounded by shelves and displays. 

Tyreese took a few steps into the store, still searching for any undead surprises, when the three of them heard a quiet shuffling sound coming from the back. The larger man gave the other two a look before heading toward the sound, withdrawing his hammer from its usual loop in his cargo pants as he moved. A moment later, Tyreese called back to them, “All clear.” Carol and Daryl followed him in, splitting up to see what all the store had to offer.

Being inside this type of store had made Daryl more than a little uncomfortable. Everywhere he looked were soft, plushy, pastel-colored things. He was so out of his element, it wasn’t even funny, yet he couldn’t help but smile to himself. This place absolutely screamed Beth. His thoughts traveled back to her, yet again, to last night, when she took so naturally to caring for baby Judith, as if they‘d never been separated. That niggling thought returned to the back of his mind. He was leery of letting the thought bubble to the surface, where he would actually have to deal with it. He tamped the thought back to the recesses of his mind, trying to focus on the task at hand. 

Daryl had reached the rear wall of the store, having passed countless racks of tiny sets of clothes. The wall in front of him was covered with every kind of stuffed animal he could think of. He turned and headed down toward the next section, finding more and more toys. He wanted to grab some for Judith, but knew that a crib, diapers and formula were the priorities for this run. He went to move on to the next section, then turned at the last minute and grabbed a small teddy bear, which he shoved in his pocket, hiding it from view, and ventured on.

Before he made his way into the next section, Tyreese called from his side of the store, “Found the cribs.” Daryl made his way over to the sound of the other man’s voice. He had no idea there would be such a variety of cribs to choose from. Carol joined them, already carrying a couple packages of disposable diapers and a bottle of baby powder. They began looking over the selection of cribs, Tyreese deferring to Carol’s opinion as to which would be a good bet to bring back for Judith, though Daryl had his eye on one with dark stained wood and flowers etched into the sides. He noticed the price tag on it, and was astounded that people would spend so much on something they would only use for a matter of months. He wanted this little girl to have the best - she’d been through a shit ton of hardship that she just didn’t deserve. Carol went over to a plain looking crib, running her hands over the bars and testing the mattress. Before she could say anything, Daryl piped up, “I think she’d like this one.” Carol’s wary look didn’t escape Daryl, but it didn’t phase him either. 

What did bother him was hearing Carol mutter something that sounded like, “Of course she would…” under her breath. Something was going on with Carol that had her acting very hostile toward him and Beth…especially to Beth. He was reminded that he needed to get to the bottom of this, nip it in the bud before something big happened.

They realized it wasn’t very practical to wheel the demo model through the store, down the street and up the stairs to the apartment, so Tyreese and Daryl set to looking for the box with the “ready to assemble” parts inside. Having found it, Tyreese volunteered to bring the box back to the apartment and start putting it together while Carol and Daryl finished up grabbing the necessities from the store. 

Daryl continued searching the store and found a car seat and began filling it with cans of formula mix. He wandered back toward the clothes, deciding it wouldn’t hurt to bring back a couple of new outfits for Judith while they were here. No sense in making a special trip just for clothes. He heard Carol come up behind him. “I thought we were just getting diapers, formula and the crib,” she remarked with an accusatory tone.

“Yeah, but Beth had said Judith would need some new clothes. Gonna need some warm clothes for all of us soon,” he replied, turning back to looking for long sleeved items. He heard another scoff come from behind him. He felt his shoulders tighten. He could face walkers all day long if he really had to, or go up against someone who was threatening him with no problem. When it came to confronting someone he actually knew, well, that just wasn’t Daryl’s strongest suit. He rolled his shoulders backward, cracked his neck, and turned slowly to face the woman again.

“Alright, what’s goin’ on with you?” Daryl pinned Carol with his steely blue gaze. He wasn’t trying to be mean, but he wasn’t gonna be nice either. Short and to the point seemed like the best tactic right now.

“What’s going on with me? What’s going on with you?” Carol countered. Daryl noticed her grip tighten on the packages of diapers she was holding. “When did you get so damn cozy with Beth?”

“Is that what this is about? What the hell does it matter to you?” Daryl returned, trying like hell to keep his voice even, though he felt himself getting very defensive. “Me an’ Beth been through a lot together. A lot of things have changed, ‘specially ‘bout me, all cause o’ her.”

“Oh, well bless her little heart,” Carol spat out, each word dripping with disdain. “What about everything we went through together?”

Daryl fixed her with a steady gaze, his eyes narrowing. He reflected on his history with Carol - the camp, the farmhouse, the prison…Sophia - a myriad of memories flooding his brain. They were all quickly replaced with thoughts of Beth - spending the night in that trunk, the moonshine shack, the funeral home…her hair…her smile…her eyes…spending the night with her wrapped in his arms…making love to her…admitting out loud how much he loved her. He’d never felt anything like how he felt with Beth - certainly not with Carol. He might have loved Carol, but he was never in love with her. He took a step closer to Carol, never breaking eye contact. “What we went through, you an’ me, it ain’t the same. Not even close,” he said in a low voice, practically growling at her. 

Carol took a step back. Her breathing had sped up, near hyperventilating, her face a mix of emotions. Her eyes began to water, tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. All she could do was stammer, “But…but…what about…”

Daryl cut her off, “Don’t you start cryin’ on me now. We been through some tough shit, I’ll give ya that, but Beth…she saved me. I promised her I’d protect her, and she ended up saving me. And I will be damned if you continue to treat her like you been treatin’ her because you got some wild hair up yer ass.”

Carol just stared at him, wide-eyed and mouth hanging open. “I…I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, well, you know now.” He could feel the tension melting out of his shoulders. “Look, Carol. I know me an’ you are friends, but that’s all we are…all we’re gonna be. If that means anything to you, then you need to back off and give Beth some slack. She ain’t done nothing to you and she sure as hell don’t deserve you snappin’ at her every chance you get.”

Carol dropped her eyes to the space between her shoes. She couldn’t believe it. She really thought she and Daryl had a connection, one that was important to both of them, that wouldn’t be replaced. Now come to find out she’d been wrong. No. She couldn’t be. She’d let him go on thinking he had something with this little girl, but he’d come around and remember what they‘d had. Well, what they could have had. “Fine,” she finally bit out.

Daryl gave her one last look before turning back to the rack of clothes he had been looking at. He heard Carol storm out of the shop. He kept going through the tiny clothes in front of him. Screw it, he thought. He’d come back with Beth. He was clueless as to what Judith would need anyway. He just wanted to get back home to Beth. Home? The word surprised him, but it felt right. He readjusted the car carrier in his hand and walked out the door, making sure to close it behind him, and headed back toward the apartment. 

Carol was just ahead of Daryl; she reached the top of the stairs of the apartment building just as he walked in the main door. As he climbed the stairs, he heard a door slam above him, and he figured she had locked herself in her room, which was just fine with him. Sitting outside Carol’s door were the diapers and everything else Carol had taken with her from the store. “Real mature. Couldn’t even bring it to where Judith is?” Daryl thought to himself. Maybe their talk hadn’t gone over as well as he’d thought. He wasn’t about to go poking that bear again now. There’d be time later. Let her cool off before starting shit up again. He picked up the few items and added them to the cans of formula he had collected.

He made his way down the hall into the apartment he shared with Beth to find Tyreese already at work putting the crib together. Beth was sitting in the living room with him, Judith playing on the floor near her. As he walked in the door, Beth looked up, nothing but smiles just for him. He placed the car carrier and his bow on the floor just inside the doorway as she got up off the couch and crossed over to him. Her arms wound their way around his waist, pulling him close, pressing her cheek to his chest; his arms took their place around her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He noticed Tyreese looking up at him from his place on the floor and didn’t miss the discerning look directed at him. Tyreese smirked and shook his head before returning to putting the crib together. 

“Man, don’t even start,” Daryl shook his head but smiled as he released Beth from his arms. Beth’s hand found his and led him across the living room, back to the couch near Judith. Daryl followed her, but stopped on the other side of Tyreese, looking down to see if he could help figure out how to put the damn thing together. Zombie apocalypse or not, he just couldn’t bring himself to consult the instruction manual, especially since it was apparent that Tyreese had avoided doing so himself.

“Hey man,” Tyreese chuckled, “I ain’t sayin’ nothing. Not exactly my place, ya know?” He glanced up at Daryl, who looked physically relieved at his reaction. Tyreese looked back and forth between Daryl and Beth and questioned, “So…how long has this been goin’ on? If ya don’t mind my askin’.”

Beth blushed a little and giggled nervously before answering. “I dunno. A while, I guess.” Daryl was thankful that she didn’t divulge too many details. Hell, he didn’t know if he could have answered the question at all. They hadn’t exactly put a label on their fledgling relationship. Seemed like Daryl would be having another conversation, but this was one he was actually looking forward to having.

“Well,” Tyreese continued, “I’m glad you two found each other. You sure seem a hell of a lot less surly than before.” He looked over at Daryl at that, smirking as he continued. “That’s at least something. Now, ya wanna hand me that Allen wrench?” He pointed to the tool next to Daryl, who picked it up and handed it over to him. Daryl was grateful for the vote of support from Tyreese. 

As he bent over, he felt something in his pocket and remembered the teddy bear. He pulled out the toy and squatted down next to Judith to present it to her. He smiled widely as the little girl beamed up at him and reached out with her chubby little hands to grasp it. He handed it to her, and she immediately brought it to her mouth. Daryl chuckled, and heard Beth’s gentle laugh join his. He gazed up at her, seeing nothing but love in her eyes. At first he thought her look was reserved just for Judith, but when her eyes never left his, he figured otherwise. He gazed at her a moment longer before turning to help Tyreese finish with the crib.

The men kept working to get the crib constructed, Beth helped when she could, but focused mostly on observing Judith as she played on the floor. As she watched, she realized that Judith really hadn’t had a lot of chances to just be a baby, to play on a soft carpeted floor with a new toy that was just hers. She couldn’t exactly crawl around while Carol and Tyreese had her and were on the move. The baby was basically carried everywhere she went all her life. Beth hoped her little muscles would develop normally. She had to be close to a year old by now, which means she should be working on her first steps soon, but here she was barely crawling. Beth wished they could make these apartments a semi-permanent home to give Judith a chance at having a somewhat normal childhood. Well, as normal a childhood as she could have in this world, anyway. 

Just by that, Judith put down the teddy bear and pulled herself up onto her hands and knees and rocked herself into motion, clumsily making her way across the small space to get closer to Beth. Excitedly, Beth reached out her hands, coaxing her on. A sharp squeal of delight left the baby’s mouth as she continued scooting across the floor to Beth. Daryl and Tyreese both turned to see what the commotion was, which distracted Judith, and she changed course and started to make her way over to the men. It seemed to Beth that she had no problem crawling, which gave her a sense of relief.

“Whatcha doin’ Miss Judith?” Beth asked with a grin, which bubbled into a laugh when Judith turned her head to look back at her, a drooly grin filling her face. She crawled back over to Beth excitedly, babbling and giggling the whole time. When she made it to Beth’s legs, her hands reached up toward her knees. Beth hooked her hands under Judith’s arms and lifted her up, the baby’s legs kicking excitedly. “Do you wanna dance? Does my happy little girl wanna dance?” 

Beth scooted back on the couch and lowered Judith so her feet landed on her thighs. Judith’s knees bent and straightened as her little legs took her weight. She bounced happily on Beth’s lap, knees flexing as her arms flapped around excitedly, the silly grin never leaving her face. Beth laughed right out loud and sang a cute little song she was making up on the spot. As Judith kept bouncing on her lap, Beth wondered if maybe walking was in the not so distant future for the little girl. 

Daryl and Tyreese finally got the crib standing and had even dressed the mattress. Tyreese came over to the girls and picked up Judith, earning another squeal of surprised delight. It touched Beth’s heart to see these two rough and rugged men doting on Judith so much. “Boys, it is just beautiful! Thank you so much for getting this for her!“ She got up off the couch and walked over to examine the crib. She ran her hands along the top bar of the railings, then traced her fingers over the engraved flowers adorning one of the sides. She felt the soft sheets that covered the plush mattress. “It’s beautiful,” Beth cooed. She looked up at Daryl who had shifted uncomfortably next to her, and she swore she saw him blush a little. She placed her hand gently on his bicep, her thumb stroking the taut skin there, then turned to Tyreese and laid her other hand on his shoulder, thanking both the men for providing this wonderfully perfect crib for Judith. She went to make up a bottle then handed it to Tyreese to feed to Judith. She set to making lunch for everyone else, realizing she hadn’t seen Carol come back from the shop; she’d heard her well enough, just hadn’t seen her, but figured Carol wanted it that way. 

She glanced at Daryl, who had picked up the teddy bear and placed it in the crib. He walked over to stand behind Beth, his hands rubbing her shoulders, along her slender arms, and resting on the swell of her hips. He kissed her neck and murmured in her ear, “Hey there, sweetheart.” 

Beth turned in his arms and wound her arms around him, purring back to him, “Hey there, yourself,” before pecking him on the lips. “Everything go okay at the store?” she asked pointedly, hoping Daryl would pick up on her hidden meaning. She figured he had said something to Carol, and judging by the older woman’s behavior upon reentering the building, things hadn’t gone smoothly.

Daryl’s expression turned a little darker, but not so much to worry Beth. “Yeah, nothing bad happened. Had a little heart to heart with Carol. We’ll just have to see what happens now.”

Concern crossed Beth’s face. “You weren’t…too mean, were you?” 

Daryl smirked, “Me? Too mean? Naw. Just the right amount of mean.” He chuckled at this as Beth rolled her eyes. “It ain’t right what she’s been doin’ since she got here. Not doin’ right by you at all. I let her know, is all.”

Beth wasn’t entirely convinced, but didn’t want to push the issue. She turned back to the little cook top and finished heating the can of veggies and pork ‘n beans and serving them up on the plates she had found. Daryl helped her carry them and silverware over to the table. She had made a plate for Carol, just in case she decided to join them.

After lunch, Tyreese said he’d like to go through the other apartments and look for some newer clothes. Daryl handed him the master key; Tyreese cleared his place, thanked Beth for preparing the food, and headed off down the hall.

Beth cleared her and Daryl’s plates, then went over to check on Judith, who had fallen asleep, belly full and lying sprawled out on the soft mattress. Beth ran a gentle hand along the baby’s soft hair. She felt Daryl come up behind her again, one hand reclaiming its place on her hip, the other reaching down to pull the sheet over Judith. 

Once he was satisfied that Judith was safe and sound, he turned Beth to face him and slowly kissed her, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth, which she granted without hesitation. A soft moan escaped her lips and she pressed herself closer to the hard lines of his body, winding her arms around his neck. His hands ran up her back, pressing her ever tighter to him, then dragged his fingers down her spine, over her hips, and grabbed her ass. He felt her smile against him as he gave her a little squeeze. His hands traveled further downward, along the back of her thighs before lifting her up so her legs were wrapped around his waist. He carried her back to the bedroom and gently laid her down on top of the bedspread.

As Beth felt his weight press her down into the mattress, a fleeting thought crossed her mind and she put her hands on his chest and gently pushing back before things went too far. “Daryl, wait.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice laced with worry. 

Beth smiled reassuringly at him. “Nothing’s wrong, I promise. I just don’t want anyone walking in while we’re…you know…” She fiddled with the front of his shirt, almost nervously, and whispered, “I don’t think it would be a very good thing if Carol came in looking for lunch or to come get Judith or something and instead found…us.” She looked up at Daryl, apologizing with her eyes for breaking the mood.

Daryl sighed and hung his head. “No, you’re right.” He kissed her lips, then feathered kisses down her neck as he said, “I’ll…be…right…back. Don’t you dare move.”

Beth smiled, “I’ll be right here. Promise.”

Daryl rushed to the main room and closed and locked the door. Then he turned around and saw Carol’s plate of food still sitting on the table. “Dammit,” he muttered to himself. He grabbed the plate, unlocked and yanked open the door, and stalked down the hallway, depositing the plate and fork outside Carol’s door. He rushed back to their room, closing and relocking the front door, then entering the bedroom, closing and locking that door, just in case. When he turned around, what he saw took his breath away.

Beth was lying on her side, propping her head up on one hand, her hair flowing along her shoulders, wearing nothing but a smile…the sexiest damn smile he’d ever seen. 

Daryl had never been so turned on; he all but ripped his shirt off before struggling with his pants, trying to hurry but making sure to be careful with his zipper. Once free of his pants and underwear, his erection stood proudly in front of him. He crossed to the bed and lay down on top of Beth, not entering her yet, but needing to be as close as possible to her. Her hands came up to his back, her fingertips tracing lightly over the scarred skin, leaving trails of fire wherever she touched. Daryl groaned at the sensation before claiming her mouth with a deep kiss.

Daryl reached down and pulled Beth’s knee upward, hitching it over his hip, her other leg following soon after. His fingertips traced along her milky thighs, along her hips, her waist, brushing the side of her breast. He rested his elbow on the bed beside her, keeping his weight off her top half while resting comfortably between her thighs. His other hand came to encompass her breast, massaging it tenderly, lightly teasing her already stiff nipple. He closed his mouth around the peak of her breast, lightly nipping at it with his teeth. Goosebumps erupted over her skin and a low moan came from her throat and her fingernails rain up and down his spine; her legs tightened around his waist. “Oh…Daryl…” she purred as she bucked her hips up against him.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He reached over to the night stand and quickly found a condom and sheathed himself. His skilled fingers sought her slick folds, teasing her clit with quick circles of pressure before sliding into her, feeling at once how very tight and wet she was. “God, Beth…you’re so hot and ready for me. I don’t know how slow I can make it this time. I want you so bad.”

“It’s okay. You won’t hurt me. I trust you.” She looked up at him, her eyes filled with love and lust. She readjusted her legs to rest comfortably along his narrow hips and her hands came to rest on his broad shoulders. She threw her head back and cried out as he swiftly entered her.

“Shhh…gotta stay quiet baby. Don’t wanna wake anyone up.” Daryl ran his fingers through her hair before bending his neck to kiss her again. Their tongues danced around each other as he began to thrust into her. She could feel his hesitation, but knew he needed more, so she moved her hips against his, urging him on, giving him silent permission to let his instincts take over and not hold back. 

His thrusts became more insistent, plunging harder, deeper into her. It was all Beth could do to keep from crying out in pleasure. Maybe it was the fact that she couldn’t make a noise, or the fact that they could be caught at any time, that added a new sense of excitement to their love making. Daryl’s hands were all over her, tempting, teasing, caressing and worshipping all at once. 

As his tempo picked up, Beth began to softly moan and gasp again, and his hand came up to cover her mouth. “Shh…” was all he could get out; his desire for her was so great, any other words escaped him entirely. He held tight to her hip with his other hand, surely leaving bruises on her porcelain skin, but his lust kept him from caring. He felt a familiar pressure building low in his gut, and judging by Beth’s quickened breathing, she was getting close. 

Suddenly Beth’s eyes grew wide, then rolled back in her head; her back arched against him, her mouth wide open in a silent scream before panting heavily. Daryl felt her inner walls clench around him, and it was all he could do to keep from groaning aloud as he found his own release.

As they both fought to regain their breath, Daryl shifted so he was lying next to her, his Beth, his love and lover. He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her hair before resting his hand along her jaw, pulling her in for a kiss. He whispered against her lips, “Damn, Beth. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough o’ you.”

Beth shifted on the bed so she was laying on her side, looking up and down Daryl’s lean body, and whispered, “I was thinking the same thing.” She smiled lovingly at him. “So…about those lessons you were going to teach me…” her smile turned into a devilish grin. He couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped from his lips before kissing her soundly again. 

“We’ll get there, darlin’, we’ll get there. I don’t wanna push you too far too soon. I’m enjoying myself just doin’ what we’re doin’.” His brows knitted together. “Are you? Enjoying it?”

“Oh-ho-ho-ho,” Beth laughed low in her throat. “Yes, Daryl. Definitely enjoying everything you do to me. I love how you kiss me…how you touch me…how you love me.”

“I do, you know. I love you. Ain’t nothing gonna change that, either.” He kissed her again, his mouth possessing hers, his arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her to him.

Beth giggled and pulled away gently. “Careful, baby. Don’t wanna start something we can’t finish.”

Daryl sighed heavily. “You’re right. Come on. Let’s get dressed and find Tyreese so he can keep an eye on Judith. I want you to look around the store we found. Pick out anything you want. Maybe we can explore around town, just us.”

Beth smiled brightly at him before sliding her arms around his neck and bringing him down for a quick kiss. “It’s a date.”


	19. Chapter 19

They decided Beth should go ask Tyreese if he would be up for babysitting Judith. Now that she had a crib to sleep in, all he’d really need to do was keep doors open so he could hear if she started crying. Beth thought this would probably be the best for Judith; the last couple of months, Judith had had to stay quiet, and she’d been carried around almost non-stop. Beth worried that this might have a negative impact on her development. She hasn’t gotten to work her leg muscles or develop any kind of balance, nor has she really gotten a chance to cry. Beth thought back to her days in Health class when they had to bring a “living baby doll” home to take care of for 2 weeks. The teacher said it was okay for the baby to cry sometimes, because that’s how it learned to communicate. Would Judith adapt or would she always be a quiet child, afraid to talk at all? Beth shook her head. Judith was their little ass kicker. Beth was probably over-thinking the whole thing. 

After talking with Tyreese, Beth came back to the room to find Daryl standing over Judith’s crib, crossbow slung over his shoulder, his eyes watching the baby as she slept peacefully. Her heart all but melted. She always had that reaction when she got to see both sides of Daryl - the gruff exterior and the gentle and caring interior. She walked quietly to stand beside him and wrapped an arm around his waist, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Ready to go?”

Daryl looked down at Beth and grinned before winding his arm around her shoulders and planting a kiss on the top of her head. “Yeah, let’s go.” He brought his arm down as he started to move, took a step back, out of her embrace, before tracing his fingertips down her arm and finally threading his fingers through hers. He walked them out of the apartment and headed down the hall. He noted that Carol still had not come out of her room, and hadn’t eaten any of the lunch Beth had made for her, but didn’t bring any attention to it. If she wanted to go hungry today, that was fine by him. He knew better than to mess with a woman when she was all kinds of pissed off. No good could come from that, he was certain.

He led Beth down the steps, removing the string of cans and noise makers from the stairway then replacing it once she had passed. Daryl rushed up ahead and held the door open for her, then closed it behind him. Beth sent him a questioning look as he took her hand again. He led her to Bundles of Joy, dropped her hand and held the door open for her again, almost bowing and gesturing her inside before following her in. Beth smiled confusedly at him. “What are you doing?” she wondered aloud.

“Never been on a date before. Just doin’ what they do in the movies,” Daryl explained, a smirk crossing his lips. As Beth started laughing, the smirk transformed into a relaxed and relieved smile. 

She slid her arms around his waist after he had closed the shop door behind him and kissed him softly on the lips. “You are absolutely wonderful, you know that?” she murmured.

Daryl blushed slightly at her comment. “Naw…I ain’t so wonderful. Who takes a girl on a date to a store filled with baby stuff?” He really had thought she’d like seeing all the stuff in here – the last time he’d been in the store, he had imagined her fawning over all this cute shit. Once Beth had labeled this as a date, Daryl was definitely feeling a little pressure, even if she had said it in jest. 

Beth gazed up at him, moving her arms to drape along his shoulders, her fingers playing along the nape of his neck. “First, to be fair, I called it a date, not you, so you’re off the hook for bringing me here. Second, you are wonderful for going along with it anyway. You’re wonderful for a lot of reasons, whether you realize it or not. I can see it - I wish you could.” She pressed another feather-light kiss along his lips before letting her fingertips run down his torso, reaching his belt, before backing up, grinning smugly, and walking away to start exploring the store. 

Daryl groaned lightly in frustration. Two little kisses and barely laying hands on him, and Beth had managed to work him into a frenzy for the second time today. 

Beth wandered through the racks of clothes, selecting cute outfits for Judith, some with long sleeves, some larger sizes, and a nice warm looking coat. Daryl wandered off and returned with a large diaper bag, which Beth gladly accepted and began filling it with the clothes she had folded. She remembered seeing a couple packages of diapers appear in the apartment, but she headed that direction anyway, figuring they should get a package of the next biggest size just in case, along with some baby wipes. She continued walking through the different sections of the store, grabbing a toy here, a couple of new bottles there, and placing them all in the diaper bag. Beth glanced over at Daryl and decided they’d been silent for too long. “See anything you like?” Daryl jumped a little at her question. Apparently he’d been lost in thought; she wondered what he was thinking.

He wasn’t sure why, but Daryl was feeling bold. “Ya mean besides you?” Why not try and flirt with her a little? They were on a date, after all. He had to admit, he was a little nervous, but not in a bad way. Is this what it felt like to have butterflies in your stomach, he thought to himself. He didn’t necessarily mind the sensation, knowing it was all connected to his being alone with Beth. He noticed a red flush cross her cheeks and smiled at the fact that he’d gotten to her, too. 

“I never would have thought…” Beth began, but trailed off mid-sentence.

The proverbial butterflies flapped harder in his stomach, turning it from a pleasant sensation to one of dread. Daryl could hear it now – she’d never thought she’d be hooked up with some low-life redneck, some  
good-for-nothing asshole. His shoulders tightened as he prepared for the worst. “Thought what?” he finally got out in a rough voice.

She glanced at him and smiled. “That the big bad Daryl Dixon could be such a charmer.” She giggled and started to make her way back over to where he was standing, casting glances on the racks on either side of her, scanning for anything else Judith might need.

The tension melted off his body as she drew closer. She set the diaper bag down and stood next to him, looking over the store one more time. “Did you ever think about it?”

“’Bout what? Me being a charmer?”

Beth playfully hit his arm. “Smart ass. No, it’s just…I always wanted a family. I’d play with my dolls as if they were my own children. I’d feed them and change them and sing them to sleep.” She turned to face him better. “What about you?”

“Nahh…never had any dolls.” His comment earned another smack. “Yer a violent little thing today, ain’tcha?”

Beth cocked an eyebrow at him. “I grew up with Maggie and Shawn. I had to hold my own somehow. Now seriously. Did you ever want kids?” 

Daryl gazed down at her, then ran his hands up and down her slender arms before holding her small hands in his rough, large ones. Those damn butterflies started flapping around furiously. “Never did before,” he mumbled, never taking his eyes from hers.

Beth’s mouth went dry. His answer was laced with all kinds of implications. Was he saying he didn’t before…but he was thinking about it now? With her? She tried to swallow and managed to whisper, “That’s too bad. You’d be a great daddy.” 

Daryl slid his hands over her shoulders and down her back, resting on the swell of her hips. “Not so sure ‘bout that. Wouldn’t want to turn into my father.”

Beth shook her head, still gazing up at him, her hands coming up to rest gently on his chest. “I don’t think that’s possible. You’re far too good a man to be anything like him,” she breathed, then swallowed again. “I wouldn’t let you turn into that.”

Her words shot through him like a lightning bolt. He crushed his lips to hers, pulling her impossibly close. Her arms came up to encircle his neck and they simultaneously opened their mouths, their tongues urgently seeking each other. He grabbed at her knee, hitching it over his hip, then reached for the other one. She wrapped her legs around his waist as his hands cupped her ass and carried her over to press her up against the wall. He groaned and pushed his pelvis against hers, relishing the moan that escaped her throat. “Dammit, Beth. I told you I couldn’t get enough of you. God, I want you so bad,” he murmured before kissing and licking along the smooth skin of her throat.

Beth shivered against him. She wanted him too – badly. She just wasn’t sure she was ready to do all this in a public place…even though there wasn’t a living soul anywhere near them, it was still too much. She gently pushed on his shoulders, “Daryl,” then waited until he was looking up at her again. “...on the first date?” she asked teasingly, trying to act cooler than she felt.

Daryl stared at her a moment, and slowly grinned at her before dropping a gentle kiss on her recently bruised lips. He saw right through her – saw that she was trying to protect him from feeling bad about possibly pushing her too far – and loved her all the more for it. “Alright, darlin’. I’ll take a rain check, though,” he drawled and slowly released her, placing her back on the floor. 

Beth looked up at him shyly, sweetly. “Thank you,” she whispered. She kept her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. “I love you,” she breathed against his lips.

“Love you, too,” Daryl returned, the words coming out of his mouth as naturally as if he was breathing. He looked down at the space between them, his eyebrows knitted together. Beth knew something was bothering him.

“I’m sorry, Daryl,” she began. “I just feel weird doing that here where we’re kinda – “

“It ain’t that. I’m really okay with waiting til we get home. Just spur of the moment...but that ain’t what’s buggin’ me.”

Beth tried to catch his eye, craning her neck to the side. “What is it then?”

“It’s stupid. Don’t worry ‘bout it,” he drawled.

She rested her hands along his lower jaw, applying slight pressure to get him to look up at her again. “Daryl, have I ever thought anything you said was stupid?” she asked him, pointedly. Daryl shook his head in her hands. “Well, then let’s hear it,” she voiced encouragingly. 

Daryl looked deep into Beth’s eyes, a shadow of doubt still lurking behind his blue stare. He shook his head again, as if trying to shake the uncertainty from his mind. He knew he could trust Beth, with anything really; he just didn’t want to sound too soft. “Just something Tyreese said.”

It was Beth’s turn to frown with concern. “What’d he say?” 

“Well, when he asked about us...about how long we been...” Daryl trailed off.

The corners of Beth’s lips started to curl upward. “How long we’ve been together? What about it?”

Daryl released a heavy sigh, trying to steel his nerves. Why the hell was he so nervous? Why was he even worried about it? “Just something in the way he looked at us. I dunno. I didn’t know what ta tell ‘im.”

Beth shook her head slightly, not quite getting what Daryl was driving at. “But I told him...for a while. Was that wrong?”

“No...it’s not the how long that bugs me.” Daryl was having a hell of a time getting the words out. He recognized that of anyone he knew, Beth was the only one who would take this at face value and not read too far into it. She honestly understood Daryl, probably better than he understood himself at this point. Just say it, Dixon, he thought to himself. “I’m just tryin’ ta figure us out. I ain’t never had someone like you before. You could tell Tyreese had us pegged as just a couple people screwin' around. Are we...what are we?”

Beth smiled warmly up at him. “Oh, honey...is that what this is?” she reached up on her tip toes and kissed him sweetly, hoping to reassure him. He is so damn cute when he’s nervous, she thought. “Well...what do you want us to be?” She knew that relationship, touchy-feely stuff wasn’t exactly his cup of tea. It felt weird to be taking the lead on this, when Daryl was usually the more experienced one. She also knew that while she could easily just tell Daryl like it is, that if they were to be truly together, they had to decide this together.

Daryl’s traced his tongue along his bottom lip before he brought his hand to his mouth to chew on his thumbnail. His steel blue eyes met hers. He finally dropped his hand back to his side and mumbled, “Seems to me we ain’t really dating.” Beth gave him a look. “You know what I mean. I don’ mind callin’ you my girlfriend, but I think I’m a little old ta be yer boyfriend. I dunno...keep it simple. Yer mine an’ I’m...I’m yours.”

Beth rolled the idea around in her mind, considering all the implications of what he said. His description made sense in every way. “I think that’s perfect. I’m yours...you’re mine.” She smiled broadly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a deep kiss, their tongues meeting instantly. His hands found the small of her back and pulled her hips to meet his. They fit together so naturally, so perfectly. Beth smiled against his lips and pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss before things got too heated again. 

Daryl groaned slightly as she pulled away, but felt relief wash over him as he saw her smiling up at him. He didn’t know what it was about this girl that made him want to open up like he did, but he was tired of fighting it. They had so many things fighting against them in this world – so many things that made living hard. Being with her felt easy, and he was more than happy to stay with her as long as he could. He laced his fingers through hers and tugged on her hand. “C’mon. Let’s finish up here. This ain’t been much of a date...just a glorified supply run.”

They spent a few more minutes going through the shop, Beth picking out a few more outfits for Judith. They debated grabbing a collapsible play pen with a strap for easy carrying for when they decided to leave this town, opting to take it just in case. Beth found a Baby Bjorn so she could carry Judith easily. On the way out the door, Daryl tried to surreptitiously snatch a pink flowery headband and stuff it in the diaper bag. Beth of course noticed, but didn’t say anything. She grinned widely to herself walked out the door, waiting for Daryl to follow and scanned the street for walkers.

“Where to now?” she asked as they crossed the street back toward the apartment building. There was no sense in carrying all their newfound items up and down the street if they didn’t need to. They deposited everything in the entryway, and headed back toward the shops. 

They walked along the sidewalk together, the street blessedly vacant of any walkers, at least for now. Daryl had readjusted the crossbow on his shoulder; Beth still had her Glock holstered on her hip. Feeling more than safe next to him, Beth threaded her arm into the crook of Daryl’s elbow, curling her fingers around his bicep and feeling the thrill that shot through her as she recognized the strength that lay there. Together they looked in at all the empty stores, hoping to find something that piqued their interest. Suddenly Daryl pointed ahead of them, “Here we go. Got one.” Beth looked in the direction his finger was indicating.

She looked at him incredulously. “A video store?” 

“Yeah. Back in the day, I liked goin’ to the movies. Me an’ Merle would usually sneak in and hang out. He’d usually pass out once the lights went out. I think he just liked the dark. I liked it too, but really liked gettin’ ta watch ‘em all, too.” Daryl grinned at the memory.

“Huh...never woulda pegged you for a movie buff. No offense. You just seem the more outdoorsy type,” Beth added quickly. “Alright, let’s go.”

They tested the door, finding it unlocked, the store beyond it void of any walkers. The hair on the back of Daryl’s neck prickled. Why were all these stores left unlocked? And where were all the walkers? Something serious had to have gone down in this town, he just wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what it was. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and focus on his time with his Beth. He escorted her through the door, and they started to lazily stroll up and down the aisles. They pointed out their favorites, realizing they actually had quite a few in common. They talked about where they’d seen them, reminiscing about good times spent with friends and family, or in Daryl’s case, how nice it was to lose himself in a movie and forget about his asshole father and brother.

“Let’s play a game,” Beth declared. “Kinda like ‘I Never.’”

Daryl scoffed, “Right, cause that worked out so well last time we played it.”

“Well, I don’t know ‘bout you, but I don’t see any moonshine in here, so I think we’ll be alright,” she teased. “Okay. You pick a movie, one that you’ve seen. If I’ve seen it, I have to say a quote from it. If I haven’t seen it, I owe you a kiss. And you have to be truthful,” she interjected quickly, seeing the look on Daryl’s face. “This is supposed to be a game, not just a chance to make out,” she wagged a finger at him, her other hand on her hip. “That’ll come later...” she added coyly and winked at him.

Daryl sighed, knowing he’d never be able to deny her anything she wanted. “Aight. But none o’ that artsy fartsy stuff. Actual movies. You go first. Hit me.”

They split up, wandering through the tiny store, scanning the shelves for titles they recognized. Beth held up the cover for The Sound of Music.

“Doe, a deer, a female deer,” Daryl quoted in a monotone voice.

Beth whined, “Oh, come on Daryl! Ya gotta sing it!” Daryl fixed her with a pointed look. Maybe there was one thing he would deny her, after all. She sighed dejectedly, “Fine...you’re turn,” and she returned the case to its spot on the shelf.

Daryl held up the cover for Jaws.

“That’s easy. ‘I think we’re gonna need a bigger boat.’”

Daryl smirked at her. “Actually, it’s ‘You’re gonna need a bigger boat.’ Just sayin’.”

Beth sauntered over to him. “Hey, I was close.”

Daryl took a step closer to her. “Still...close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”

She pretended to scowl at him, “Fine. Half credit then,” and kissed him on the cheek.

He smirked again, “Hey, rules is rules. Yer up, slugger.”

“Fine,” she stuck her tongue out at him. “Take this, smarty pants,” and held up a copy of Love Actually.

Daryl narrowed his gaze at her. She got a little nervous as the silence grew between them. She was about to put the movie down and pick something less “artsy fartsy” when he closed the space between them and murmured, “To me you are perfect, and my wasted heart will love you until you look like this.” 

Beth all but melted on the spot, his smolder boring into her very soul. The electricity firing between them was tangible. She was about to reach up to frame his face with her hands and kiss him, until she saw something in his hand. She reached down and found a copy of The Mummy and burst out laughing. “You jerk! You had me going!”

He grinned at her, batting off her feeble attempts to smack his arms. “Hey, that’s what you get for pickin’ a chick flick. Tryin’ ta get me ta lose. What? I ain’t got a sensitive side?”

She pouted up at him, “You saw Love Actually? With Merle?”

“Hey, what can I say, he came to see the nude scenes, I came to see Alan Rickman. Loved that guy. Such a bad ass in Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.” 

Beth rolled her eyes. “Fine. Your turn.” She watched as Daryl shot another grin over his shoulder and walked down another aisle. She followed him down, looking at his latest selection. “Blues Brothers?” Daryl just raised his eyebrows, waving the case in the air as if he was growing impatient. Beth lowered her voice and tried her best Chicago accent, “We’re ahn a mission from Gahd,” and smiled as Daryl burst into laughter.  
As his laugh died down into a chuckle, Beth commented, “You should laugh more. It’s nice,” which of course had him stopping sooner than she would’ve liked. She shook her head and continued down the row. “Alright. Go,” she challenged him with National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

Daryl stood there, staring at the case for a good long minute. He finally strode over to her, placing one hand along the back of her neck, bringing his lips down for a lingering kiss.

When he finally released her, Beth was breathless. “You...um...you never saw Christmas Vacation?” she stammered.

He shot her his sexy grin, making her melt all over again. “’Course I did...I just wanted ta kiss you.”

Beth brought her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. She couldn’t get over how this man, her Daryl, who had only shown his rough and rugged side to anyone else, was such a romantic. She breathed against his lips, “Take me home, Daryl.” 

Daryl all but growled at her, “Yes ma’am,” before encircling her in his arms, pulling her tight against him. He deepened the kiss, his tongue tasted hers momentarily before releasing her, noting the look in her eyes as he did so, her pupils dilated with desire. He grabbed her hand and lead her to the front door, but stopped suddenly. “Hang on a second,” he said apologetically. They were passing the checkout counter where shelves full of candy, popcorn and soda sat untouched. He placed his hands on the counter and vaulted himself over it, searching for something. He suddenly bent down, disappearing from Beth’s sight, and returned with a handful of plastic bags. He crawled over the counter again and began filling the bags with the snacks. “Guess no one thinks to check the video store for food. Do you know how longs it’s been since I had Raisinettes and Jiffy Pop?” he asked excitedly.

“I was always a Twizzlers girl, myself,” she smiled, shaking her head at him. “Think the soda’s still good?”

Daryl shrugged, “Sure. It’ll be flat, and warm, but it’s wet, and a hell of a lot tastier than water.”

They each carried a couple bags in one hand, linking their free hands together. They ambled down the street, Beth resting her head on Daryl’s shoulder, and had almost reached the front door of the apartment building when they heard a voice behind them. 

“WAIT!!!”

They both automatically spun around, dropping the bags as they did so, and drew their weapons. There in the middle of the narrow street were two people they’d never seen before, a guy and girl. The guy couldn’t have been much more than 21, pale, very scrawny, very twitchy, carrying a baseball bat; the girl was in her late teens with long dark hair and eyes to match; a large kitchen knife was gripped tightly in her hand. With the guy so fidgety, the definitely looked like the leader of the two. “Who the hell are you?” Daryl demanded.

“I’m Ani. This is Jesse. We got separated from our group a while ago and just need a place to stay. We’re on our way to a place called Terminus. Can you help us? Please?” The girl had an accent, but Daryl couldn’t place it. He glanced down at Beth, who nodded slightly, but didn’t withdraw her weapon.

“How many walkers you killed?” Daryl asked, recalling the line of questioning he and Rick had set up before letting anyone new into their group.

Jesse spoke up but didn’t make eye contact, “Lost count. A bunch, I guess.” The blood splatter on their filthy clothes confirmed that his statement was at least partially true.

“How many people you killed?”

“Two.” Jesse replied. Ani looked down at her feet.

“Why?”

“To protect her,” Jesse’s voice threatened to crack at some memory. He reached his arm around Ani’s shoulders.

Beth dropped her weapon first. Daryl followed suit. “Alright. You guys eaten recently?” she asked.

“No, we haven’t. We’ve been too busy running and hiding,” Ani answered.

Beth looked at the pair with pity. “Come on, then. We’ve got a couple extra rooms, some food to share.”

Daryl grimaced at letting these two in and sharing their food with complete strangers. He remembered when he’d told Beth that all the good ones are gone. She had disagreed. Turns out she was right...he just didn’t figure he’d be one of the good ones. He picked up the bags from the sidewalk and followed Beth as she led the group into the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ani is kind of a shout out to the exchange student who lived with my family for this past school year. She’s back with her own family now, and we miss her a TON! She promised she’d read my story if I made her a character. Well, here you go! Jesse is of course based off Jesse Pinkman – Ani’s favorite character from Breaking Bad (blah blah blah, I don’t own any characters from TWD or BB...blah blah blah). You’re welcome.


	20. Chapter 20

Ani and Jesse ate their meal quickly, spouting off thank you after thank you for Beth and Daryl’s generosity.

After they had some food and water in them, exhaustion started taking its toll on the two newcomers. Daryl walked them to an empty apartment at the end of the hall close to the stairway. After talking with them over dinner, he felt better about the two strangers, but knew he couldn’t be too careful. They both looked dead on their feet, so to speak, and thanked him again for his hospitality. Jesse shut the door, leaving Daryl alone in the hall. He headed back to the manager’s apartment, which had become the common area of the building where they shared their meals and stored the supplies everyone had been collecting. He noticed that Carol’s plate was missing from the hallway. It was something, he supposed.

Daryl and Tyreese discussed the two new additions to the group. Tyreese wasn’t thrilled at the thought of sharing their safe haven with these strangers any more than Daryl was, but figured neither of them were heavily armed; they both seemed genuine enough to not be much of a threat. Daryl agreed. The kids seemed harmless, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be making sure all the doors were locked and secure before going to sleep tonight.

Beth finished clearing the table when her sweet tooth kicked in. She found the bags of snacks they had taken from the video store, grabbed a package of Twizzlers for herself, and offered the rest up to the two men sitting at the table. “Daryl, would you mind getting the Jiffy Pop going?”  
He nodded as she handed him the foil packet. “Thank you,” she smiled at him sweetly. “I’m going to go check on Judith, make sure her clothes fit her then put her down with a bottle.”

As Beth entered their room, she was surprised to see Carol standing over Judith’s crib, playing with the baby. Beth was nervous about being in the room with the older woman, not that she thought Carol was capable of actually hurting her. She just didn’t want to hear any more of Carol’s off-handed comments. She tried playing it cool, and said as friendly as she could muster, “Hi Carol! Haven’t seen you much today.”

Carol simply looked over her shoulder at Beth, her face blank. “No. I guess not,” she said coolly, and turned back and smiled at Judith.

Beth tried again. “I got Judith some cute new outfits today, some warmer ones for winter. Mind if I try them on her, see if they fit?”

Carol sighed heavily, over exaggerating, “I guess.” She rolled her eyes and took a spot on the couch on the opposite side of the room. Beth stayed in the doorway a moment before crossing over to Judith.

“Hi there, sweet girl,” Beth cooed. “Did you have fun with Tyreese and Carol today?” She smiled as the baby babbled back to her. No worries about her being a quiet kid when she grew up. Apparently Judith was just extremely well-behaved – as if she somehow knew when she needed to stay quiet. Beth reached down to tickle her round belly, causing squeals of laughter to sound through the room; Beth’s smile stretched across her face. “Do you wanna try on some pretty new clothes? Do you wanna give us a fashion show?” Beth’s voice naturally went into a higher register as she talked to Judith. As she began to undress the baby, tickling and ‘baby talking’ with her, Beth could feel Carol staring at her back. She tried to ignore it, but Beth could start to feel the animosity being bored into her. She focused on the smiling, giggling Judith in front of her and smiled back at her.

After Judith was finally undressed, Beth selected the first outfit to try on – a denim jumper with a pink and grey striped shirt underneath with grey leggings. It took a while to finally get all Judith’s flailing limbs wrestled into all the pieces of clothing, but once she succeeded, she realized it was well worth the struggle. From the looks of Judith, you couldn’t tell they were smack in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Beth reached down, hooking her hands under Judith’s armpits and lifted her up, straightening the jumper as she settled her against her chest.

“Oh, just look at you! Aren’t you my pretty little girl? Yes, you are!” Beth resumed her baby-talk and couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She laid Judith back down, satisfied with how well the clothes fit her, and began the process of undressing and redressing her in a new outfit. After each new set of clothes, Beth would pick her up, not being able to resist, and would compliment the baby, whether she could understand her or not. She made her way through the diaper bag full of clothes and items from the store, the whole time talking to Judith about her trip to the store with Daryl, telling her how he had helped pick things out for her. Judith just kept babbling back at her. Perhaps she didn’t know what Beth was really talking about, but she could sense this was a happy time at least. Beth reveled in how cheerful Judith was, how perceptive she was, too, and commented, “You’re my smart little girl, aren’t you? My happy little Judith. My joyful Judith!”

Carol groaned at that. Beth could almost hear Carol rolling her eyes. She still didn’t know what her deal was. Daryl had said he had talked to her, that he thought all this snarkiness was all over. Guess he was wrong. Beth was determined to not let Carol’s demeanor spoil her good mood.

Beth had gotten to the last of the outfits she had picked from the store, but felt something else. Sitting at the bottom, rolled into a very small bundle, something Beth knew she had most certainly not picked out. She held it up and shook it out, revealing a hooded jacket with a camouflage design, highlighted with pastel pink. Beth laughed out loud and her heart melted simultaneously. She hadn’t even noticed that Daryl had hidden anything in the bag when he had given it to her.

“Aren’t you cute in your cammo! That’s all for now, sweetheart! Looks like Daryl and I have to go back to the store, though, don’t we? I didn’t get any shoe-sies for my little girl! We can’t have that? Do you think Daryl can find you some hiking boots to go with your jacket? Do you? I bet he will! Daryl would do anything for you, wouldn’t he?” Beth picked Judith up again, holding her close and kissing her chubby cheeks, rocking her from side to side, cradling one hand behind her head. “Of course he would, my sweet girl.”

“Ugh! Would you stop?!? I can’t stand it!”

Beth jumped at Carol’s sudden outburst. She held Judith close and turned around to face the older woman. “I’m sorry?” Beth asked calmly.

“He isn’t...she isn’t yours! Stop it!” Carol yelled back.

“What did you say?” Beth knew she had heard Carol say ‘he’ but then changed to ‘she.’

“I said, ‘She isn’t yours.’ You don’t have any claim on her,” Carol sneered at her, the words coming out of her mouth as pure venom.

Beth was about to retort, not exactly sure what she was going to say...probably just apologize...but a low voice cut her off. “Neither do you.”

Beth turned to see Daryl standing in the doorway, a bowl of popcorn in his hands and an angry look in his eyes.

“Daryl! I...I...we were just...” Carol stammered, trying furiously to back-pedal but knowing it was too late.

“What the hell, Carol? I thought we talked about this,” Daryl fixed her with a sharp look. “I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but you’d best get rid of it.”

Carol stared right back at him. Beth looked between the two while bouncing Judith, rocking side to side, trying to keep the baby from getting upset. Judith had suddenly gone quiet, as if she could sense the tension around her. Beth moved to exit the room, but Daryl held his hand up, keeping her where she was. As she looked at Daryl, she saw Tyreese come up behind him, filling the doorway. She could see the tightness in his shoulders, indicating he was bracing for whatever came next.

“How long have you been listening?” Carol’s voice was low and soft, but not without an edge of defensiveness.

“Long enough,” Daryl growled, stepping further into the room and placing the bowl on the small kitchen table. “What the fuck did you mean sayin’ that?”

“I’m sick and tired of hearing her go on and on about her Judith...her sweet girl. I took care of that girl, too. Since when does the babysitter get any right to call her her own? Where the hell was she when the prison fell? If Judith meant so much to her, why the hell was I the one taking care of her the last several weeks?”

Before either Beth or Daryl could respond, Tyreese cleared his throat. “You didn’t either. As far’s I can remember, you weren’t even at the prison. You told me Rick had kicked your crazy ass out, and apparently with good reason. Me and the girls took care of Judith before you came along.”

Beth looked up between the three of them, surprised to hear this new piece of information. She caught Daryl’s eye, seeking confirmation; the look she received told her he’d be explaining everything to her, but not now.

“Beth has been taking care of that baby almost every day of her whole life. She was up most nights rocking and feeding her in the prison, keeping her quiet so everyone else could sleep.” Daryl looked to Beth again, and she thought she saw a blush cross his face as he saw her look of astonishment. She had never known he’d paid that close attention to her before they were paired together after the prison fell. “She was looking fer Judith and the other kids when I found her and we had to leave the prison yard, so don’t you even pretend like she don’t give a damn about that baby. Beth might as well be Judith’s mama.

“Besides, that ain’t even what I’m talkin’ ‘bout. What the hell do you mean ‘he isn’t...’? I sure as hell hope you ain’t talkin’ ‘bout me.” Daryl stepped closer to Carol, trying like hell to restrain his anger, but could feel it rolling off him in waves. “I heard you, Carol. I heard you say ‘he.’ I’ll have you know I’m just as much hers as she is mine. I love her, and there ain’t nothin’ you can do to change that. If you can’t handle the fact that we’re together, you can go fuck off, cause I sure as shit ain’t gonna stand for you treating her like this. So you can knock off this stupid jealousy thing right now...”

“Jealous?!?” Carol shrieked in disbelief. “You think I’m jealous? Of her?” She started laughing then, almost maniacally. Daryl, Tyreese and Beth all exchanged a nervous look.

Daryl moved to place himself directly between Carol and Beth, facing off to Carol and taking a protective stance, blocking Beth from Carol’s view. She laid a gentle hand on his back between his shoulder blades. She could feel how tense he was – he was practically shaking with anger. He relaxed only slightly at her touch. He stood a little straighter. She could tell by the tightness along his jawline that he was still beyond pissed, but knew anything she said right now would just add fuel to the fire.

Daryl felt the warmth of her hand seeping through his vest. While he obviously knew she was standing there in the room with him, the tangible reminder of her presence helped to steel his resolve. He knew that he wasn’t alone...and he never would be again.

“So what’s it gonna be, Carol?” Daryl asked after she had stopped laughing, her hard stare returning.

Carol took a step closer to Daryl, crossing her arms, bracing herself as she looked him in the eye, her stare hard and cold. “I can’t believe you’d pick her.” She cast a menacing glare at Beth as she continued, “Like she has any idea how to survive in this world. She went from being daddy’s little princess to a glorified babysitter. And now what?” She looked back to Daryl. “She’s just going to depend on you for everything. She isn’t, and she’ll never be, good enough for you. If this is just you getting your rocks off, fine. Screw her brains out. Who am I to judge? But know this – if you stay with her, you’re going to be saddled with taking care of her until this...whatever it is...runs its course. She’s not like us, Daryl. She wouldn’t survive on her own, and sure has hell couldn’t take care of her little girl by herself. She can’t do what needs to be done when it really matters. It’s pathetic, and I can’t...I won’t stand for it. I hope you two are fucking happy. I can’t stay around and watch her bring you down, too.”

Carol stormed out of the room, bumping her shoulder against Daryl’s arm as she passed; her icy cold stare cut through Beth. Tyreese shifted out of her path as she brushed passed him without saying a word. The three of them stared at each other, all jumping as her door slammed shut.

Tyreese was the first to break the silence. “I...uh...I guess you two...I’m gonna be in my room. You want me to...” he trailed off, motioning to take Judith from Beth.

Beth shook her head and gave him a smile that didn’t quite meet her eyes. “No, it’s okay. It’s about time for her to go to bed anyway. Thank you, Tyreese.” He nodded at her, then to Daryl, as he turned to leave the room.

It was obvious to Daryl that Beth was fighting to maintain her composure. Her voice shook as she said, “I need to get Judith her bottle...and then get her diaper changed and put her jammies on...I hope she sleeps okay tonight...” Beth kept rambling, and started pacing, seemingly not able to decide what to do first. She was obviously distraught over what had just happened. Daryl put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to stop moving.

“Sweetheart, it’s okay,” Daryl said with his soothing drawl. “Hey...” he brought his hand under her chin and tilted her head up, waiting until her eyes finally met his. “It’s okay.” He took Judith from her arms and set her down in her crib. He returned to Beth and slid both hands to cover her back, wrapping her in his arms. “I’ve got you. You’re okay. You’re safe.” He held her against his chest until he felt her start to relax, but frowned as her shoulders began to shake and her breathing changed yet again. He pulled back to look down at her, his heart breaking with every tear that rolled down her face. “Beth, darlin’ ain’t nothin’ to cry about,” he whispered with all the tenderness he could muster.

Beth looked at him through wet eyelashes, her eyes already red-rimmed. “But, Daryl...she’s right,” she whimpered before covering her face and trying to pull away. Daryl tightened his grip on her.

“Hey...that’s enough of that,” he said softly. Daryl wasn’t sure what to do. Women were enough of a mystery to him; crying women were a whole separate bag of cats. Not really having a plan of action, he took small steps, just doing what he thought felt natural. He kissed her forehead and gazed back down at her tear-streaked face. “First thing’s first. Let’s get Judith ready for bed. We’ve all had a long day.”

Beth nodded and smiled weakly up at him before extracting herself from his embrace and getting a bottle ready for Judith. When she returned to her crib, Daryl had managed to get Judith out of her camouflage hoodie but didn’t have much luck with anything past that. Judith was starting to get more squirmy as her bedtime got closer. Beth passed the bottle to Daryl and picked up where he left off, getting her undressed then redressed into the pajamas she had found for her. She settled Judith onto the mattress and tucked her in, taking the bottle from Daryl’s hands and offering it to her; Beth had discovered that Judith was capable of holding her own bottle now, so she’d take advantage of it. She leaned over the top bar and kissed Judith on the forehead. “Goodnight, sweetie,” she whispered, “see you in the morning.”

As Beth leaned back, Daryl reached into the crib and stroked the top of Judith’s head. “G’night, little ass-kicker. Sweet dreams,” he mumbled, then put his arm around Beth’s waist and guided her first to the front door, making sure it was locked, then to the bedroom.

Beth immediately went to the bed, plopped herself down on the edge, and kicked her boots off. Daryl joined her, sitting beside her, their legs pressed against each other. He slid one arm around her shoulders while his other hand reached for one of her hands resting in her lap.  
“You wanna talk about it?” Daryl suggested. He wasn’t big on talking about feelings, but he knew Beth was upset – hell, he wasn’t doing so hot either – and the talking would hopefully help her sleep better tonight.

Beth blinked up at him, a little surprised he wanted to talk about everything that had happened. “I just...I don’t know...I think Carol’s right. I don’t know how I made it this far. I’m pretty sure if it wasn’t for you, I’d be a goner. I do depend on you for a lot, and that isn’t fair to you. So maybe she’s got a point. I know I’m not strong enough to survive on my own; maybe I am pathetic. And besides, I do act like Judith is my own. I love that little girl, but she’s not mine.” She sighed heavily, “Carol was right about everything.”

Daryl dropped her hand and reached for her knees, pulling her legs to cross his lap, holding her close. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. Even when her face was a tear-streaked, snotty, blotchy mess, she was heart-breakingly beautiful. He reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and planted a kiss on her forehead before resting his own against the same spot. He didn’t know if all this was coming to light just because of Carol’s hurtful words or if Beth had secretly always felt this way. What he did know was that every word Carol and Beth had said couldn’t be further from the truth. He wondered if this was how Beth felt when he was dealing with all of his damned insecurities. He was frustrated with her and sympathetic all at once. He softly kissed her lips then mumbled, “Beth, I love you, more than you know, but you’re so stupid.”

Anger flashed in her eyes for just a second before it was replaced with a look of resignation. She started to pull back, out of his embrace, but didn’t get far. “Gee. Thanks. I really needed to hear that,” she said in a completely deadpan voice. “Ass,” she added, under her breath, resting her head upon his chest, not really wanting to look at him anymore.

Daryl grinned at her and ran his hand up and down her arm. “Hear me out. For you to believe any of that bullshit she just fed you, you’ve got to be stupid. How can you not see how strong you are?”

Beth looked up at him, waiting to hear his explanation. He slid his hand down to hers, lacing their fingers together slowly, then releasing hers and rejoining them. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her fingertips, before resuming the slow dance between their fingers, constantly threading his between hers.

“Darlin’, look at all you’ve done, just since we been together: you got away from those men that took you – hell you even killed the one before he could do god knows what to you; you got yourself weapons and supplies and got out of that house, all while makin’ a signal so I could find ya; you helped me get away from Joe’s group; you helped me fight ‘em off - you protected Carol and Tyreese.” He smiled and brought his hand to her jaw, tilting her head so she was looking up at him. “And hell, you put up with me and my bullshit every day. You’ve changed me. If that ain’t strong, I don’t know what is.”

Beth breathed out a soft laugh, but then shook her head and brought her chin back down to her chest, mumbling, “Yeah, but I couldn’t have done that stuff without you. I just did what I thought you’d do.”

“Well, so what?” Daryl said, louder than he meant to. He lowered his voice and continued, “Everyone’s gotta learn from somewhere. I learned from Merle and my dad. Hell, Carol learned how ta fight from me an’ Rick an’ Shane. She ain’t got much room to talk about bein’ a survivor out here, and she really had no right to say any of that shit to you.” He paused, then offered, “If you want, I could teach ya some stuff. You were already getting’ pretty good with the crossbow.”

“Yeah...that’d be nice,” she gave him a small smile. “You know, maybe if she’d said more than two words to me, instead of being so...so...bitchy...she woulda known. That’s the thing – she seemed like a totally different person since the prison.” Beth looked straight into Daryl’s eyes. “Which reminds me – what was that Tyreese said? About Rick kicking her out? I didn’t know any of that.”

Daryl let out a heavy sigh and looked down at their still-joined hands. “Yeah...ya know when everyone first started getting sick?”

“Yes...Judith and I were in solitary confinement to keep her from catching anything.” Beth remembered having to take her meals through the little slot in the door, and having conversations with Maggie through the heavy door.

“Well, dunno if ya ever heard about Karen and David...” Daryl began.

“I know they died.”

Daryl shook his head. “They were killed. Carol killed them in the middle of the night while they were already in quarantine. Guess she was trying to stop the flu before it really started to spread. It didn’t work, though. People still got sick. All it did was piss off Tyreese and Rick.”

Beth sat up a little straighter as Daryl spoke. “Oh my God! How...I can’t...what’d Rick do?”

“He took Carol out on a run to a neighborhood not far from here. Guess he set her up with a car and plenty o’ supplies and just left her. Said he couldn’t risk her acting on her own around so many people...around Carl and Judith. He had just told me the whole thing; we was just gonna go and tell Tyreese when the Governor showed up.”

Beth just stared at him in shock. “I can’t believe it.” That’s what Carol meant when she said ‘do what needed to be done.’ It was a scary thought that Carol, whom Beth thought was always so sweet and motherly, had turned into a cold-blooded killer. It made her wonder about Lizzie and Mika. Did they really just “not make it,” or did Carol find them weak, too? She shivered at the thought. If Daryl hadn’t come to her defense, would Carol have tried something? No, Beth thought, shaking off the thought, pushing it to the back of her mind.

Beth leaned forward and kissed Daryl on the cheek. “Thank you.” She brought both arms around his neck and pressed herself into him. She felt his arms tighten around her waist. “Thank you for standing up for me...and for making me feel a little better. And I’m sorry.”

Daryl pulled back, looking down at her confusedly. “What you got to be sorry for?”

Beth brought her hands back to her lap and stared at them once again. “I’m sorry you lost a friend because of me. I know you and Carol were close.”

Daryl shrugged. “Hey, don’t worry about it. She’ll either come around or she won’t. If she can’t deal, maybe she wasn’t that good a friend after all.”

“Don’t say that, Daryl. In her own, very strange way, she was just looking out for you. It just happened to be at my expense...” Beth trailed off, attempting a smile. “She sure did change a lot from before, huh?”

Daryl nodded solemnly. “Yeah, she did. There is something I want to be very clear on.”

“Okay...” Beth replied nervously.

“What she said, about me gettin’ my rocks off. That ain’t true. Not even a little bit. I love you, Beth,” he declared to her, looking steadily into her eyes.

“Yeah, I know! Do you realize Carol knows now, too? You all but yelled it at her,” Beth answered, her smile growing as she spoke. “I love you, too, you know. With all my heart.”

“I did tell her, didn’t I? Ya know...there was one thing she said that was kinda true.” A devilish grin spread across his lips. He brought his lips to her ear and growled, “I wouldn’t mind screwin’ yer brains out. You do owe me a raincheck, ya know.”

Beth couldn’t stop the blush from crossing her face and coloring her neck. The room was suddenly very warm to her. “Daryl...” was all she could get out before his mouth claimed hers. She kissed him back briefly before gently pushing back on his shoulders. “Can we rain check it for another time? I don’t want to do this after I’ve been crying. I’m all snotty and everything. Please?”

Daryl let out a frustrated sigh. “Yer killin’ me girl. Yer killin’ me. Alright, but I’m gonna have my way with you sooner or later.” He kissed her cheek, her neck, then returned to her lips. “Seriously, just you wait.”

“I promise I’ll make it up to you,” Beth purred.

“You’d better,” he teased. “Come on, darlin’. Let’s get some sleep.”

Beth crawled out of his embrace and began to undress. She watched as Daryl pulled his shirt off, noting that there was no pretense to it at all. He kicked off his boots, unbuttoned his jeans, and let them slide to the floor, leaving him in just his boxers. She smiled as she put on her oversized t-shirt and slid into bed. She loved the new familiarity to them undressing in front of each other, as if they’d been doing it this way for years. She pulled the covers back, making a spot for Daryl to join her. He slipped in next to her, offering his arm for her to curl into, which she readily accepted. He draped his other arm around her waist, pulling her in close to him. She smiled sleepily, fighting back a yawn. “You know, I think tonight might be the most you’ve talked...ever,” she teased. He smirked and swatted her butt playfully. She laughed softly, “Don’t be mad. It was nice.” She yawned again. “Mmm...Good night, Daryl. I love you.”

He kissed her before settling her closer to him. “Love you, too, sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Daryl talked a LOT (which was one of the hardest things to reconcile for me), but I figure he’s pretty pissed at Carol and is defending Beth, so he might get a little wordy. I also didn’t want to play Carol as being jealous, that’s been done to death. Then at the suggestion of Remi Savant, I made her more of an elitist almost, looking down on those she thinks are weak, which I think kind of fits her new personality on the show.   
> Okay. You know what to do! Tell your friends! Review, review, review!


	21. Chapter 21

The morning sun had just barely started to lighten the sky. Beth's eyes snapped open, though she wasn't sure why. She didn't remember having any bad dream; Judith wasn't crying; there weren't any sounds of walkers nearby. She glanced up at the top portion of the window above her, trying to guess what time it was by what she could see of the sky. All she could see was the deep blue-grey of the pre-dawn. She snuggled back against Daryl's chest, ready to catch another hour or so of sleep, when something caught her eye.

As she looked down the length of his body, Beth noticed a tell-tale lump raising the covers just below Daryl's waist. She knew from living with her brother that this was a completely natural thing for guys, but she couldn't help but be intrigued. This was one part of Daryl she had never really gotten a chance to explore, and her curiosity grew the more she thought about it. She looked back up at Daryl's face, making sure he was still asleep. When his light snoring confirmed that he was, she slid the blanket up to cover her shoulder, sliding her arm completely beneath it, and slowly began moving her hand southward, not touching him yet. She didn't want to wake him up before she missed her opportunity to satisfy her curiosity. 

As her hand reached its destination, she slowly slid her hand to reach the front of his boxers. She was a little surprised that the tip was peeking through the space in his fly. Steeling her nerve, she inched her fingers beneath the fabric, wrapping them around him. She couldn't fight the blush that crossed her face, though she did manage to stifle the sharp intake of breath that threatened to ruin her clandestine venture. Ensuring that Daryl was still asleep, she closed her fingers around his shaft, delighting in the velvety softness of him. She realized he wasn't fully erect when he began to grow in her hand, which only excited her more. Feeling brave, she started stroking him, slowly, maneuvering her hand up and down ever so slightly. He grew harder beneath her ministrations; she dared to move the full length of him, from the base to tip. She couldn't fight the urge to start pumping her hand, still moving slowly to keep from waking him.

"You havin' fun down there?" 

His low voice rumbled in his chest, laced with mild amusement, and froze Beth in her tracks. She smiled up at him guiltily, seeing his eyes were still closed.. "Um...good morning," she tried to play it off as if this just another everyday activity, when she felt very far from everyday. She felt sexy, holding him so intimately like this, knowing she could cause this kind of reaction to him, even in his sleep.

Daryl growled and circled his arms around her and pulled Beth on top of him, bringing her up for a slow kiss. Her legs straddled his hips, the head of his cock pressing against the damp cotton crotch of her panties. He slanted his lips against hers while running his fingers up over her shoulders to thread his fingers through her hair. His tongue darted between her lips, demanding entrance, and ran along her own. He would swear nothing tasted as good as her sweet mouth. 

He was just getting ready to reach for the bottom hem of her t-shirt to pull it over her head, when they both heard Judith start to fuss in the other room. He didn't even try to hold his groan back as Beth sat up, a little reluctantly, and crawl off of him. She bent over and kissed him again, whispering her assurances that she'd be right back. 

Beth rushed out to the living room to find Judith actually sitting up in her crib, two fat tears running down her face. It dawned on Beth that this was probably the first time the baby had ever woken up to find herself alone in a room. She made a note to make sure to make lots of time for Judith today. They reached for each other, Beth lifting her up out of the crib, trying to soothe her. Once she was in Beth's arms, Judith’s cries turned to whimpers, her chubby little hands rubbing at her eyes. "What's a matter, baby girl?" Beth ran her hand along Judith's bottom, feeling that her diaper was greatly in need of a change. Beth laid Judith back in the crib and grabbed a fresh diaper. She returned and made quick work of what needed to be done, leaving Judith a much happier baby. Beth disposed of the old diaper and made up a bottle, hoping it would coax Judith into sleeping another hour or so. It was still far too early for her to be up, never mind Beth couldn't wait to get back in bed with Daryl.

Beth picked Judith up out of her crib and settled in with her on the couch, offering her the bottle and rocking her gently, humming softly some song that had come from some long forgotten memory. She gazed fondly at the baby in her arms, her bright eyes looking right back at her. She sang softly:

Once there was a way...to get back homeward  
Once there was a way...to get back home  
Sleep pretty darling, do not cry  
And I will sing a lullaby

Golden slumbers fill your eyes  
Smiles await you when you rise  
Sleep pretty darling, do not cry  
And I will sing a lullaby

Goodnight, goodnight sweet baby  
The world has more for you  
than it seem. Goodnight, goodnight.  
Let the moonlight take the lid off your dreams

As Beth sang, she saw Judith's eyelids droop lower and lower and noticed she had stopped drinking from the bottle. She finished the song, making sure Judith was sound asleep, then got up off the couch as smoothly as she could, and nestled her back in her crib. Satisfied that she was asleep, Beth tiptoed back to the bedroom.

As she entered the room, she immediately looked toward the bed and her heart sank. Daryl was gone. Confused and disappointed, she looked around. Where the hell did he go?

Suddenly a pair of strong hands grabbed her hips from behind her and spun her around. She let out a surprised shriek before Daryl's lips closed over hers, crushing his body to hers. The shriek subsided into a moan as his hands began to roam all over her. Her arms wound around his neck, pulling her closer to the hard lines of his body. She felt Daryl guiding her backwards, but was surprised when she realized they were moving away from the bed. Before she knew it, her back was pressed against the wall; Daryl's pelvis pressed up against her hips, the evidence of his hard on more than noticeable as she felt it against the lower part of her stomach. He was kissing her with such urgency, such ferocity, that she had to fight to breathe. She pulled her head back and took a deep breath of air and his lips immediately sought the tender flesh of her neck. He licked and nipped at her, the scruff on his chin easily leaving her skin red and abraised. 

“Yer not gettin’ away from me this time, darlin’,” he growled against her neck. Daryl continued his trail of love bites and licks and kisses along her throat, venturing down to her collarbone, where he felt her pulse leap against his tongue. Before he could get any further, her night shirt had to go. His hands found the bottom hem and pulled it up over her head in one fluid motion. His hand automatically reached up to cover her breast, kneading her soft flesh beneath his fingers, while his other hand grasped her hip firmly. His fingertips slid beneath the elastic of her panties, curling around the fabric and pulling it over her hip. He squeezed her breast once more, teasing her already hardened nipple between his thumb and finger, before dropping his hand to her other hip, yanking her underwear down. 

He ran a string of kisses from her throat, across her collarbone; he paid homage to each of her breasts in turn before trailing his tongue over her tight stomach. As he fell to his knees before her, he brought her panties with him and held them, allowing her to step out of them. He ran his hands up her calves, teased the flesh behind her knees, then up along her inner thighs. He continued stroking her thighs, worshipping the soft skin beneath his fingers, and looked up at her. “You trust me?”

Beth looked down at him kneeling in front of her. He could see the fires of passion and desire burning in her eyes. Her breathing ragged, it was all she could do to nod her assent to him. He cast her a devilish smile, then grabbed her knee and hitched it over his shoulder and wrapped his arm under her thigh, supporting some of her weight. He left feather soft kisses along her inner thigh, finally reaching her center. He kissed lightly on her outer lips, then slid the tip of his tongue along her slit. He heard her gasp above him and smiled against her. His tongue teased her again, relishing the sweet taste of her. This time he swirled around her clit, eliciting a harsh gasp followed by a low, guttural moan.

Daryl pulled back, peeking up at her through the hair that had fallen in front of his eyes. “You want me to stop?”

Beth ran her fingers through his hair, pulling it back from his face, and pulling on it a little harder than she’d really meant to. She had to make sure he was really listening. “Oh my god, don’t you dare!”

He smirked up at her, loving the effect he had on her. “Gotta stay quiet then, baby. Can’t have ya wakin’ up the whole damn building.” Beth inhaled sharply through her nose, a deep breath to help try to calm her, puffing the breath out, then nodded, urging him to continue. He dipped his head, kissing her overly-sensitive nub of pleasure. Daryl lapped at her with the flat of his tongue before flicking her clit with the tip of his tongue. He could hear and feel her breathing become heavy and ragged as he continued to lead her down this road of pleasure. 

He had never gone down on a woman before, but figured, based on how she was reacting, he was at least doing something right. When her fingers tightened in his hair and pulled his face closer to her, guiding him to where she needed him most, all doubt left his mind. He knew he was doing something right.

He suddenly wanted to push her even further; he ran his free hand up her thigh before inserting his long finger inside her. She bucked her hips against him and he chanced a glance up at her, more than glad that he did. Her head was thrown back against the wall, her face a mixture of agony and bliss, her free hand clamped over her mouth, trying to prevent any sound from coming out, afraid that even her heavy breathing would be heard up and down the hallway. 

Enough was enough. Daryl wanted her to come completely undone. He withdrew his finger, only to add a second, curving them both against that special spot buried deep inside her. His tongue continued its dance against her, urging her, begging her, to come. 

Not entirely certain why, Daryl let out a long, low moan against her. The vibration from his delectably baritone voice against her sensitive flesh was apparently all it took to send her spiraling over the edge into ecstasy. Her inner walls clenched hard around his fingers, her hips bucked up and away from the wall, and her fingers all but tore his hair out by the roots. It hurt like hell, but he didn’t care. He felt a swell of happiness, of pride, that he could bring his woman such sexual joy and pleasure. 

And he wasn’t done yet.

As she was still riding out the waves of her orgasm, Daryl stood in front of her, lowering her knee from his shoulder to his waist as he got up. His other hand, still drenched with her own sweet slickness, grabbed for her other knee. He reached between them, situated his erection to her still quivering entrance, and pushed into her hastily, not being able to hold back any more. He kissed her fiercely, swallowing her moans of pleasure.

Beth kissed him right back, meeting his hungry mouth every step of the way. She could taste herself on his lips, on his tongue, and found she didn’t mind so much. She pulled away so she could catch her breath as he drove into her, letting out sharp gasps as he thrust into her, harder and faster than any time before. She grasped his shoulders in desperation, surely leaving marks along his skin. His mouth ran along her jaw and down her throat. She loved this feeling; loved being surrounded by him, claimed by him, loved by him. She tasted and kissed the spot she knew drove him wild, just where his neck met his shoulder.

Daryl pushed her further against the wall, her breasts crushed up against him. He slid one arm between her back and the wall, holding her close as he plunged deep inside her. His other arm braced against the wall next to her head, his hand gripping her hair at the back of her head. He thrust into her with reckless abandon, wanting to lose himself in her. 

Beth’s orgasm from earlier had never truly subsided. Daryl had pushed her from one right into the next. She felt the now familiar sensation of a tightening in her lower belly, felt her thighs tighten around his waist. She bit down on his shoulder, trying her hardest to stay silent as he drove her over the edge again, the warm and tingling feeling spreading all over her body, from the top of her head to the tips of her now-curled toes. 

Daryl could feel it, could feel her clenching around him like a vice. He pumped into her as he followed her over the edge, kissing her hard and groaning into her mouth with each thrust. He held her tight as he finished, not wanting to ever let her go. His kisses became softer, more gentle, his climax having taken the urgency out of him, and placed delicate kisses along her neck and jawline before returning to her sweet, slightly bruised lips. He gazed into her eyes, now several shades darker than normal, heavily lidded with blissful satisfaction. He held her, still supporting her, as their breathing returned to normal, still not withdrawing from her. 

“Oh my god...oh my...,” Beth breathed, letting out a heavy sigh. She held tight to his shoulders, never wanting to be away from his side ever again. She was completely content to just be wrapped up in his embrace for the rest of time. “Oh, Daryl...that was...oh my god!” She let out a breathless laugh. 

Daryl smiled down at her. “Lesson number one: don’t start what you can’t finish. I’ll just have to finish it for you.” 

Not about to let Daryl think he’d gotten the best of her, she smirked up at him. “If that’s the way you finish things, I might just have to wake you up like that more often.”

Daryl let out a soft laugh before kissing her again. He slowly pulled out of her and set her feet carefully back to the floor, her arms still wound around his neck. He couldn’t seem to stop kissing her. He finally placed his hands on her hips and gently pushed back, putting a little space between them so he could run his gaze over her beautiful body, taking in every detail of her: her round, firm breasts, her small waist spreading into womanly hips, her delicate thighs and the treasure that lay between them. He smiled lazily at her. He looked down again, seeing the wetness that still resided there when reality hit him.

“Shit.”

Beth looked up at him worriedly. “What’s wrong?”

Daryl glared at her, anger flashing in his eyes. He knew he looked pissed, but it wasn’t directed at her in the least. How the fuck could he be so stupid? He tried to soften his face before continuing. “I, uh...I forgot something very important.” 

Beth waited for an explanation, but he wasn’t giving anything up. She reached out to touch him, her hands landing on his forearms. “Daryl...what did you forg...oh!” Realization finally caught up with her. She hadn’t even thought about it until he had said something. They had both forgotten that ever important little piece of latex insurance. She peeked up at him, his face all anger, frustration and regret. Beth brought her hands to lightly rest along his cheeks, turning him gently to face her fully. “Daryl, it’ll be okay.”

“You don’t know that,” he looked at her, a new sadness in his eyes. His stupidity could well have just sentenced her to death. “What if you’re...what if you get...” he couldn’t even bring himself to say the word. All he could think of was Lori and how she had died delivering Judith. He thought of Rick, and how he’d completely lost it when he discovered what had happened to his wife. If something like that happened to Beth, he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it. He’d be done for.

His eyes met hers; he found a calmness there that he couldn’t fathom. Then she smiled up at him, melting his heart and confusing him all at once. Why wasn’t she pissed at him? He was certainly more than pissed at himself.

Beth trailed her fingers from his cheeks, along his arms, and down to meet his hands. She pushed against the wall, moving him backwards, guiding him back to the bed. The rush of pleasure still surging through her, she wanted to lay down with him, curl up against him, and take away his anxiety. “Come on, honey.” She lay on her pillow, gesturing for him to join her. He looked like a wounded animal, not sure if he could trust or be trusted to be so close to her again.

“Daryl, I’m not mad. Concerned maybe, but not mad. It was one time. One mistake. Even the great Daryl Dixon is allowed to make a mistake,” she said softly. She had curled her arm under his head, cradling him, comforting him, as he had done to her so many times before. Her free hand ran through the hair falling into his face, a tender motion meant to quiet his nerves. Apparently it wasn’t working. She felt him tense up against her.

“Some mistake. What the fuck was I thinking? What the hell are we...” He was cut off by Beth closing her lips over his.

Beth broke the kiss, but stayed close to him, their noses touching and foreheads pressed together. “Shh...it’s okay. I really don’t think we have much to worry about.”

He gave her a doubtful look, “How the hell do you know that?”

She half smiled at him. “You really want to know? Okay...you sure you want a biology lesson about my...um...cycle?”

Daryl’s whole face cringed. “I’m...I’m probably okay with not knowing for now.”

Beth let out a soft chuckle, “Alright then. To spare you the details, look at it this way...based on the timing, chances are good that everything will be fine. Let’s just say I’ve, uh, never missed a visit.” She saw the question already forming in his mind. “And maybe, just maybe, for being such a great hunter, you don’t necessarily see every little detail. I can be quite stealthy, too.” 

Daryl was amazed and shocked by this girl. She had hidden from him her...monthly problem...all this time? And apparently was comfortable enough with him to let him in on such private information. 

Beth went on, “I’m not saying we’re out of the woods yet. I’m saying we just don’t need to panic yet. And we should probably be more careful from here on out. And if it happens...it happens. We’ll make it work.”

“You ain’t scared?” Daryl questioned.

Beth grinned. “I ain’t scareda nothin’” she growled, attempting her best impression of him. “At least, when I’m with you, I’m not. We’ll be okay, Daryl. I love you.”

Daryl’s arm slid around her and pulled her close. “I love you, Beth.” He probably didn’t deserve her, couldn’t fathom what she saw in him, but she loved him. She was the calm in the shit storm of his life, his light in the darkness. He watched as she bit back a yawn, then kissed her softly. He still felt the pangs of regret at his lack of planning, but his heart said to trust her, so he tried to quiet his mind and do so. They were wrapped up in each other, laying naked together, as sleep overtook them once again.

XXXXX

Daryl woke up with a start, slightly alarmed to find himself alone in bed. He never slept longer than her. He figured with the adrenaline rush from dealing with Carol last night, and their activities this morning, his body needed to recoup a little. He crawled out of bed, dressed quickly, and went to find Beth. He expected to find her in the living room, playing with Judith or something, but he was wrong. His brows furrowed in confusion, he grabbed his crossbow from its spot by the door and ventured into the hallway.

As he walked closer to the manager’s apartment, he heard laughter coming from within. He walked through the door, his bow in its usual place on his shoulder, and felt relief to see Beth sitting at the table with Tyreese, Ani and Jesse. One of them had set up the play pen for Judith, who was sitting inside it, playing with some of her new toys, babbling away happily. A smile grew on Daryl’s face at the sight.

Beth looked up as Daryl walked in. “Well, good morning, sleepy head.” She rose from her spot at the table and crossed over to him, winding her harms around his waist and reaching up on her tiptoes for a quick kiss. He normally would have balked at a public display like this, but he found himself caring less and less. He brought his hand to cup her face, running his thumb over her cheekbone, and kissed her back; just a chaste kiss. Neither of them wanted to get anything started, especially in present company.

He followed her back to the table, where everyone was munching on stale popcorn from last night. Someone had opened a couple cans of fruit, and the bag of beef jerky was laying on the table as well. “This is some breakfast,” Daryl commented.

Tyreese agreed, “Yeah, need our energy. I was thinking maybe we could take a look around the town, see what else is here, what other supplies we can find. Havin’ a stock pile to choose from is nice, but we probably shouldn’t be burnin’ through it so fast. ‘Sides, I been cooped up in here for too long. Need to get out and move around”

Daryl nodded, “I was thinkin’ the same thing. Was thinkin’ o’ maybe goin’ huntin’ today. Some fresh meat sounds pretty good right about now.”

“Alright,” Tyreese went on, “I guess I’ll go see if Carol’s up. Haven’t heard her since last night.” The large man paused for a moment, then resumed, looking at Beth. “That wasn’t right...what she said last night. You gotta be one tough girl to have made it this far. She’ll see it. I think she’s just angry at a lot of things. It don’t excuse it, but it might explain it. Anyway, I’ll go get her.” And he stepped out the door after giving Beth an apologetic look. 

Beth sighed and smiled to herself. She knew Daryl had said much the same thing last night, but figured he was a little biased. It felt good to have an outside source be on her side, too. “So,” she turned to Ani and Jesse, “what are your plans?” 

The two looked at each other, as if silently communicating and remembering a past conversation. Jesse spoke first, “Well, we were on our way to Terminus. ‘All who arrive, survive?’ Sounded pretty good to me. But then we were talking last night...”

“If you don’t mind, would it be alright if we stayed with you all for a while? We’ll pull our own weight, we promise,” Ani added. “We’ve just been running for so long, and it’s been just us. It’s nice to be in a group again.” 

Beth looked to Daryl with pleading eyes. He knew her heart always had room for one more to take care of. The two didn’t seem threatening at all. The fact that they offered to contribute to the group spoke volumes. They weren’t just seeking protection from the hell outside; they were seeking community. He rolled his eyes and nodded. Beth beamed at him and turned back to the pair. “Welcome to the group.”

Jesse’s face displayed a smile of relief, while Ani couldn’t contain herself, and reached over to give Beth a hug. Beth laughed and returned the embrace. After a moment full of thank yous, Ani righted herself in her chair, her smile never leaving her face.

Daryl was about to say something when Tyreese returned. “She’s gone.”

Daryl stood up, on alert at once. “What d’you mean she’s gone?”

“Just what I said, man,” Tyreese explained. “Her door was unlocked, not a trace of her inside. No note, no nothing. She just hauled off and left.”

“Shit,” Daryl mumbled as he left the apartment, Tyreese following close behind. He rushed to her room, glancing around briefly. It’s not that he didn’t trust Tyreese, but maybe he’d be able to see something the other man hadn’t. A thought crossed his mind and he quickly left the room and headed toward the staircase. 

Beth had joined him in the hallway, staying near the main apartment. “Daryl? Where are you going?”

“Gonna make sure she didn’t leave a trail o’ breadcrumbs for some walkers ta find us,” he ground out. He didn’t really think she would have done something that drastic, but hell hath no fury. He hated that he felt surprised to find the noise alarms still in place and the main door closed securely up ahead. He headed toward the street, just to see if there was any immediate trail he could find to see which direction she’d gone. Not finding anything, he returned to the group.

Beth was at the table with the younger two, Judith held in her lap. “See anything?” she queried.

Daryl plopped into the chair next to her and shook his head. “Nothin’. She’s just gone.” He figured she’d gone to Terminus. She and Tyreese had both said that was their plan, hoping to meet up with the rest of the prison group at the mysterious sanctuary. He wouldn’t know for sure unless he followed the tracks there. Daryl rubbed his hands over his face. “Man, now I really wanna go hunt.” He needed to clear his head; decide whether he should bother looking for her or not. She apparently didn’t want to be found, but he still gave a shit about her, no matter what had been said last night.

Jesse piped up, “Hey, I’ll go with Tyreese here looking around town, see what we can find.” Ani volunteered to stay with Judith so Beth could go along with Daryl while he hunted or with the other two while they scavenged the town. Beth declined, remembering her promise to herself to spend lots of time today with Judith. Ani seemed reluctant to go out into town, so asked if she could stay with Beth to help finish sorting through the stockpile. Beth had the feeling Ani really just wanted to spend time with Judith, too. The baby seemed to have that effect on people. Beth accepted the offer for help, and the group began to split apart for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Beth is actually singing a couple songs in this chapter. The first is Golden Slumbers by Paul McCartney & John Lennon, performed by The Beatles. The second is Lullaby by Ben Folds & Anna Goodman, performed by Ben Folds Five.


	22. Chapter 22

Beth and Ani took turns between playing with Judith and sorting through the stockpile, packing bags with food, clothes, and other supplies. They decided to put some of each item in each bag, so if anyone got separated or a bag ended up being left behind, they wouldn’t be completely forgone. Their conversation covered all the usual topics. Beth gave the bare bones version of her and Daryl’s story; the farmhouse, the prison, the governor, them being separated from the group, the Claimers. 

She told Judith's story, too, how Lori had died giving birth to her and how Beth had basically taken care of her. “I could shoot okay, and I wouldn’t have minded doing more around the prison, or go on runs with the groups, but that would mean someone else would have to take care of her. That would prevent someone who actually knew what they were doing from going on a run. I didn’t mind, and I still don’t. I love that little girl.”

Ani told her and Jesse’s story. They had come from Albany, down in Southern Georgia. She was still in high school when the world turned ugly. She was separated from her family and wound up with a group of people from her school, including her chemistry teacher. That’s how she met Jesse, who was learning to become a pharmacist at a nearby community college. She never figured out what had happened to her family. The school was quickly overrun, so the group started wandering from here to there, holing up in houses when they could. A few months back they’d gotten swarmed by walkers and separated from their group, too. It’d just been them ever since. 

Beth could tell Ani was smart for her age...very smart. She had a quick sense of humor but had a compassionate heart, too. She took to Judith quickly, and Beth could tell Judith liked her right back. 

Once they had sorted and packed pretty much everything they could, they both focused solely on Judith, sitting on the floor of the living room. She had turned out to be a quick crawler after all. Beth decided to try something; the next time Judith scooted near enough to her, Beth reached out and picked her up, setting her tiny feet on the floor. Beth kept her hands under Judith’s armpits, steadying her until she started to find her balance. Once she was stable enough, Beth removed her hands, hovering around the baby’s rib cage just in case, testing her sense of balance. Judith wobbled a little before starting to topple over. Beth caught her and tried again, and a third time, each attempt lasting a little longer. Every time Judith balanced on her own, Beth smiled widely, and Judith’s face would match. 

Ani asked, “How old is she?”

Beth thought about it before answering, “I guess about a year? It’s hard to keep track of the days, ya know? But she’s got several teeth, even a couple molars, so she’s gotta be close to a year...I think.” 

Ani nodded, looking deep in thought. “And...she’s not walking yet?” 

Beth glanced up at her then back to Judith, deciding to try to get her to balance while standing again. “Well, she’s been carried around her entire life. I never liked her having to crawl on the hard cement floors of the prison, and when Carol and Tyreese had her after the prison fell...well, there probably weren’t many chances they had to get her to practice, ya know? She’ll catch up and start moving soon, though. She’s tough.” She giggled, “Daryl calls her Lil Ass-Kicker.” Her heart warmed at the memory of Daryl holding a newborn baby Judith, feeding her a bottle, his voice uncharacteristically soft – a voice he used only for Judith. 

Daryl finally came back late in the afternoon, carrying a couple squirrels in his hand by the tail. He felt better than he had this morning; between his guilt over forgetting the damn condom and Carol’s disappearing, he was feeling completely drained. A day spent by himself in the woods usually did the trick and recharged his batteries. It would have been better without the threat of walkers, but any he had seen today were just stragglers, and nothing he couldn’t handle easily. He was tired, but it was a welcome feeling, the kind one gets after a long day of productive work. 

Beth greeted him first. “Look who’s home!” she said with a smile, getting up from her spot on the floor. She bent over, starting to pick up Judith, and Daryl took an appreciative glance as the front of her shirt fell open, completely unbeknownst to her. He shook his head; he didn’t need to be thinking that way right now. 

Daryl watched as Beth picked Judith up, and was surprised when she didn’t lift the baby up into her arms, but instead hoisted her up under her armpits and balanced her on the floor. Beth ran her hands down Judith’s chubby arms to her tiny hands, letting her hang on to her fingers. Daryl set the crossbow and squirrels down and took a step closer to the three girls in the living room. He squatted down to Judith’s level. “Well, look at you, lil ass-kicker! You standin’ up now?” 

Daryl’s face brightened as Judith babbled back at him, her whole face lit up with sheer delight. She was still a little wobbly, but she managed to take a few steps toward him, all while holding on to Beth’s fingers for support. She lost what little balance she had and plopped down on her bottom, shrieking and laughing as she did so, excitedly waving her arms and hitting the floor with her little hands. The three of them joined in her laughing. 

Daryl got up off the floor and went back to where he had deposited the squirrels. “Ya did real good, gettin’ her to walk like that,” he complimented both Ani and Beth. “I’mma go skin these and get ‘em ready for dinner. The other two back yet?”

Ani and Beth looked at each other and grinned, then back to him. Ani smirked up at Daryl, “Do you see them here?” 

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her. “Smart ass,” his voice devoid of any real anger. 

Beth giggled a little, then coughed and stopped herself as Daryl’s playfully angry look landed on her. “No, they aren’t back yet,” she said, biting back a grin. “I hope they get back soon. Hope they didn’t run into any trouble.”

“Huh,” Daryl shrugged. “Well, I’m sure they’re fine. I ain’t hardly seen but a dozen walkers since we got here. They're probably just wanting to be thorough.” Beth and Ani agreed, though both women had a trace of worry on their faces. “I’mma head out now. Holler if ya need me, I’ll be down the hall. Figure that gamer’s room was trashed anyway. No one’ll notice a little squirrel blood.”

Beth saw Ani cringe at the thought of dressing the squirrel. She wondered what Ani and Jesse had eaten while out on the run, whether they had scavenged through houses for canned goods this whole time or if Jesse could hunt like Daryl. Beth had a renewed sense of gratitude that she’d gotten out with Daryl. Of all the people at the prison, he was by far the most capable to survive out in the wilderness. She found herself feeling extremely lucky to be with him, and smiled to herself that he was with her, too.

“Well, I guess we can start getting ready for dinner. Wanna help?” Beth scooped Judith into her arms and blew a raspberry into her little belly, producing a string of laughs and shrieks from the little girl. Her laughter was infectious. Beth placed her in the play pen, then placed some of the toys in it with her. She and Ani were going through their options for dinner. Beth teased, using a fake haughty voice “Now, what pairs well with squirrel? Green beans or peas?”

Ani followed suit, “Oh green beans definitely, but only if seasoned properly.” The girls were laughing at themselves when Jesse and Tyreese walked in. “Hey! You’re back!” Ani exclaimed. She moved over to Jesse, almost shyly, Beth noticed; it looked to Beth that Ani wanted to hug him, but was unsure of herself all of a sudden. 

Beth wondered whether they were companions, friends, or something more, and smirked to herself as she figured it was probably the latter, but in its very beginning stages. She remembered how awkward it had been between her and Daryl when they were toeing the line between friend and something more. It felt like it had been ages ago, though in reality it was maybe more than a few weeks. Beth waved a greeting to Tyreese. “Find anything good?” 

Tyreese nodded back to her. “A lot actually. A couple more apartments, a bunch of stores. The grocery store is pretty well wiped out, but there was a convenience store that still had some food. Found a hardware store too. That could come in handy. We found a couple neighborhoods not far from the main road here, went through a couple houses. We didn’t bring everything back...way too much for us to carry. We figured us and Daryl could head out again tomorrow and go through stuff.”

Beth’s eyebrows rose up with optimism. “Well, that sounds promising. You know, we’ve got the Baby Bjorn. We could all go and help go through everything. You’d make less trips that way.”

“Yeah,” Jesse began, almost reluctantly. As he continued, Daryl walked in and nodded at the other two men as a greeting, then crossed to Beth so she could start cooking the fresh meat. “That’s the good stuff we found. We found something that may be a problem.” 

Ani looked at him, her eyes full of concern. “What is it? What happened?”

Jesse looked nervous in breaking the bad news to the rest of them. “We found a school, thought it was all quiet, but there was something about it that just...set off a bad vibe, ya know? So we walked all around the building, peeking in to all the windows and everything, trying to see if it was over run or what was going on inside. Everything seemed normal in all the classrooms. I don’t think we saw one walker in there.”

Tyreese interrupted, “Until we got to the gym. The outside doors had all been chained shut. We looked in the little windows and I about peed my pants. The whole damn gym was full of walkers. I mean full of ‘em.”

Daryl, Beth and Ani all started asking questions at once: “Did they come after you?” “Could you tell how many?” “What the hell were they doing in there?” “Any way they could get out?”

Tyreese continued, “Don’t know how many there were. Had to have been a hundred or more. Maybe two. Hard to tell through the window with ‘em crowding up by the door. Too many for us to try and deal with, that’s for sure. The only ones that came after us were the ones closest to the door, but like I said, the doors were chained shut, so we were safe the whole time.”

Jesse piped up, “The only way I can figure they could get out is through the doors that lead to the rest of the school. But I swear, we didn’t see any of them in the rest of the building.”

Beth looked at Daryl, hoping he’d have an answer. He looked back at her, trying to piece it all together.

“Best I can figure, if they’re all locked in the gym, with nothing to rile ‘em up, they just stay where they’re at,” Daryl contemplated aloud. "If there was nothing out in the hallway to lure ‘em out, they’d just stay put. Think of how, out in the open, bastards don’t come after ya until they actually see ya, get a whiff of ya, hear ya make a noise. If the school’s deserted...” he trailed off, letting the rest of them put it all together.   
Beth turned to Tyreese. “You said there were a couple hundred in there? You think that’s what happened to the people who lived here?”

“Makes sense,” Ani spoke up. “If they all locked the doors from the outside to keep out any freaks, then went in through the school, they’d only have one set of doors to keep an eye on. Keep together...safety in numbers. I bet that’s where all the food from the grocery store went. The government was supposed to have a plan to take care of everything, remember? That it’d all be over in a matter of weeks? I guess they just wanted to stick together and wait it out.”

Beth shook her head. “But if they all went in together and locked everyone else out, where did the walkers come from?”

Daryl looked at the ground, chewing on his thumbnail, lost in thought. “Could be a lot of things. Could be someone was sick when they went in, had already got bit or something. Hell, could have been someone died of a heart attack or dehydration. Then they went and turned someone else...then they turned someone else...the Domino effect, ya know? That’s why there ain’t more of ‘em – some got eaten, some got turned.” He shrugged his shoulders. “That’s my guess anyway.”

“So what do we do about it?” Beth asked no one in particular. The group fell silent, no one sure of what steps to take.

Daryl spoke first. “Not a damn thing. If they ain’t got out yet, they likely ain’t gonna get out any time soon. We stay the fuck clear o’ that school. No sense throwing a rock at a wasp nest if it’s quiet anyway.” The rest of the group nodded in agreement. “Aight. That’s that. Let’s eat, I’m starvin’.”

XXXXX

After dinner, everyone relaxed around the table. Ani went to clear off the table. Beth offered to help, but the younger girl declined the help, “I got this.” Beth instead showed everyone how far Judith had come in learning how to walk. Now Judith was happily bouncing on Tyreese’s knee. Beth loved how this little girl could get two big tough men like Daryl and Tyreese completely wrapped around her little fingers. They both became big ol’ teddy bears around her, neither of them even trying to hide their softer side around her. 

Daryl had gotten out the deck of cards he’d found their first day in the apartment building, and everyone joined in playing go fish, old maid, crazy eights. When one game would end, someone would suggest a new game. They started to teach Ani how to play poker when Judith started getting fussy.

“Sounds like someone’s ready for bed,” Beth recognized Judith’s cries weren’t from being bored or hungry; these were ‘I’m sleepy’ cries. She took her from Tyreese and headed to their apartment to get her into her jammies and tuck her in for the night. She made sure Daryl’s teddy bear was in the crib with her before kissing her softly on the forehead. Beth had just started to hum a little lullaby when Judith’s eyes drifted shut and was well on her way to Dreamland.

Beth was on her way back to the rest of the group, but saw Jesse and Ani walking toward their apartment. They heard her enter the hallway and turned, bidding her good night. Beth walked the rest of the hallway to the common area of the manager’s apartment to see Daryl and Tyreese practically in a huddle at the table. They both looked up as she walked in and parted, acting as if they didn’t want her to hear what they were discussing.

“Nu-uh,” Beth scolded them, crossing to the table and sitting on the chair between the two and crossing her arms. “Don’t pull that on me. What’s going on?”

Tyreese looked guiltily at her, then over to Daryl and shrugged. Daryl let out a sigh, knowing he’d never convince her if he tried denying anything. “I think I found it.”

Beth frowned in confusion, “Found what, exactly?”

“Terminus,” Daryl replied. “I didn’t wanna say nothin’ in front of the others.”

Beth’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, where is it? How far is it? Are we gonna go?”

Daryl began chewing on his thumb nail again, a sign that he was trying to think things through, trying to figure out what to say. “It’s not far...maybe a couple hours walk. Didn’t get real close. I still don’t trust it.”

“Too good to be true often is,” added Tyreese.

“Well, yeah, but if that’s where Maggie and Glenn are, and apparently Carol now, maybe the rest of everybody is there, too. Sasha, Rick, Michonne...” Beth trailed off, suddenly missing her extended, adopted family so very much.

Daryl nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I was thinkin’ that, too. Something about that place just don’t seem right. Back at the prison, there was always something goin’ on. Whether people were out killin’ walkers or gearin’ up for a run, there was always movement. But over there, I didn’t hear nothin’. Not even walkers. Somethin’ just ain’t sitting right, I can’t explain it.”

They sat in stillness for a moment, letting it all sink in. Tyreese broke the silence, “I don’t think we should go. Not just yet anyway. We keep goin’ through this town, seein’ what we can get, maybe even find some guns for us. I don’t even wanna think about going to Terminus without being well guarded and well armed.”

Daryl nodded in agreement, still worrying the corner of his thumb. “That’s a good idea, man. A’right. Tomorrow we do as we planned and start loadin’ up everything we can. Maybe take a couple days to really go through everything. We’ll see how we feel after we’re done with that. We oughta get some shut eye. We got a lotta work ahead of us.”

Together, the three stood and headed to their respective rooms. Daryl slid his arm around Beth’s shoulders. Tyreese grinned at them, “G’night, you two.”

“Good night, Tyreese. See you in the morning,” Beth answered for both of them. 

As they entered their apartment, Daryl locked the door behind them, and they both headed to Judith’s crib, checking on her one last time before going to bed themselves. Daryl looked back and forth between Judith and Beth, a wide grin stretching across his face. “You’re amazing with her, you know that?” Beth looked him in the eye, hoping he’d elaborate. “You really do take to the whole mothering thing. You’ve about got that girl walking after one day. It’s just...amazing.”

Beth wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer to her. She beamed up at him before reaching up on her tip toes and kissing him lightly on the lips. “You’re pretty good with her yourself, you know. You’ve got this whole other side that just for her. Then I think back to when she was first born, and wild horses couldn’t have held you back from getting that little girl formula. You’ve been such a good protector for her.” 

Daryl was glad the room was getting darker as the light from outside grew fainter. Hopefully the blush he was sure was covering his cheeks would go unnoticed. Not likely, he thought. Beth notices everything. He realized that he didn’t mind so much that she saw everything about him. He’d never had anyone know him so well, inside and out. He never knew someone who could read him so easily, who could catch every little nuance and translate it to understand him better. He worried his lip before cupping his hands along the sides of her face, leaning down and kissing her, softly, sweetly. Not as an act of passion or desire; this was a simple act of love. 

He kept the kiss as pure and chaste as he could, simply savoring her, here with him. He gently pulled away after several moments. “C’mon,” he murmured, “let’s go to bed.”

Beth followed Daryl into their bedroom. Her mind started to wander as she changed into her over-sized night shirt. Something was different about him. He’d hardly kissed her all day. Granted, he’d been gone for most of the day, but even since he’d returned, his kisses didn’t hold the same passion as they usually did. His lips still felt like heaven against hers; her toes still curled in her boots whenever he laid his hands on her. It felt like he was holding back. Maybe he was worried about Terminus. Maybe it was something that someone had said that set him on edge. She couldn’t figure it out. She set her mind to getting him to talk. She’d work him all night if she had to, and knowing Daryl, she just might.

He had already changed and gotten into bed by the time she turned toward the bed. She noticed he had taken his shirt off, and had exchanged his normal pants for sweatpants. That’s odd, she thought. Why the sweatpants? Last night he seemed fine in his boxers. A slight frown, a mix of confusion and disappointment, fell on her face, but she shook her head before he could notice it. She slid under the covers next to him. She placed her elbow on her pillow and propped her head up in her hand, looking down at him with his arms tucked behind his head, discerning where to start this conversation. She decided to just bite the bullet. “Daryl, is something wrong?”

His eyes darted over to look at her, meeting her curious, searching eyes. “’M fine,” he finally managed.

Beth gave him a stern look, “Don’t you pull that with me, Daryl Dixon. Don’t shut yourself off again. Something’s bothering you. Please tell me,” her voice softened, almost turning her request into a question.

Daryl looked back up at the ceiling, inhaling deeply and puffing his breath out forcefully. “It’s a bunch of things, I guess.”

Beth laid a soothing hand on his chest. “Where do you wanna start?”

Daryl grimaced. He knew he might as well give up now, that Beth wouldn’t surrender until she heard every last thing that was worrying him. “First this whole Terminus thing. I just don’t know if I trust it. But if that’s where everyone else is, we oughta go, to, doncha think?” 

Beth nodded and shrugged. “Maybe, but not right away. I think you’re being very smart about this. You and Tyreese have a good plan. We gather up supplies around here, first, find better ways to protect ourselves, and scope them out in a couple days. We’ll just take the rest from there. No sense in worrying about what we don’t know. We’ll take it one step at a time.” She leaned over and kissed him, hoping to ease his mind one kiss at a time. “So what else?” she whispered against his lips.

Daryl looked at her from the corner of his eye, a smirk pulling the corner of his lips upward. “I’m pretty pissed that Carol just up and left.”

“Why does it bother you so much? You sounded pretty pissed at her last night.”

Daryl propped his head on his hand, mirroring Beth, and looked straight at her. “Cause what she did ain’t right. She stirs up all this shit and then takes off. She had no damn right to talk to you like that, she got you all worked up and upset, pissed me the fuck off, and then just up and leaves? Who the hell does that? I thought she was better than that. The least she could have done was damn well apologize to you. You were nothing but kind to her since she showed up and...” 

Beth cut him off with another kiss. “Baby...calm down. There’s no sense in getting all distraught over something that’s in the past, either. She was hurting, Daryl. Yes, what she said hurt my feelings. Yes, I think what she said was completely unjustified. I think Tyreese was right; she’s angry about a lot of things and took it out on me. I’m not saying it’s okay for her to have done that, but we can’t go back and change it. We won’t be able to do anything about it until we see her again.”

Daryl was still fuming. “But why the hell did she leave like that? Sneaking off in the middle of the night? It’s fucking cowardly. She said you weren’t strong, but she turned chicken-shit and ran away. Right now, the only reason I want to find her is to give a piece of my fucking mind.”

Beth knew he wasn’t going to be able to let this go for a while. He and Carol had been close, and it’s near impossible to sever a bond like that. She sighed and rested her palm on his cheek, her thumb grazing over his high cheekbone. “I know, honey. I know,” she muttered, trying to calm him back down. “We’ll find her, I’m sure we will. I wouldn’t mind having a talking to with her myself. I’ve thought of a few choice words I’d like to share with her.” She kissed him again, letting her lips linger on his a moment longer this time. “Anything else?”

Daryl looked down, staring at the space between them, his finger absently tracing the pattern on the sheets. “Nah...that’s pretty much it.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “Daryl...” she all but whined his name. “Come on. You’ve hardly come near me all day...like you’re afraid to touch me at all. Something’s going on, and I want to know what.” He kept his gaze fixed on the same spot. She placed her hand over his larger one, stopping his fingers from moving. “Baby...please? Please tell me what’s wrong.”

He froze beneath her touch. His heart began to race. “I can’t believe what I did today. How the hell could I have been so stupid not to think? I promised to protect you...and I can’t even protect you from myself? I’m such a god damn screw up. I don’t deserve you, Beth. You deserve someone who can actually take care of you, not mess up your life every chance he gets.” He finally looked up at her, his eyes full of anger and fear. If he lost her, it would kill him, but it would all be his own damned fault. “I’m so sorry, Beth. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix it, and it terrifies me. I don’t want to lose you, but I can’t keep getting you in trouble like this.” He tore his eyes away from her and rolled onto his back again, reverting to staring back at the ceiling. “And I hate myself for thinking...” he trailed off.

Beth waited a moment before prompting him, “For thinking...what?”

Daryl swallowed hard. “I just...I see you doing so good with Judith, seeing you take such good care of that little girl. I can’t help...if things were different...I’ve never wanted to before.”

Beth shook her head. “Hon, you’re a little hard to follow, here. What are you saying?”

He wasn’t sure why, but he felt an enormous urge to break down and tell her everything, absolutely every little thing that had been bouncing around in his head all day. Each thought that had entered his mind while he was out hunting, where his thoughts were the only company he kept. He took a deep breath and let it all out. “I almost wish you were pregnant. I’ve never, ever wanted kids before. Ever. But ever since our talk yesterday in that damn baby store...I want that with you. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. Right now I can’t imagine my life without you...and it scares the shit out of me. And so then I hate myself for wishing you were pregnant. God, what the hell would we do if you were? Look what happened to Rick and Lori. If anything happened to you, I don’t...I don’t know what I’d do.” He felt an enormous weight lifted off him, but then felt a sudden gut-wrenching fear at the same time. There was no taking it back now. He brought his hands up to cover his face, not wanting to show the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes. “I knew I’d screw this whole thing up. I told ya, I can’t do this.”

Beth could only stare at him, her heart absolutely going out to him. She gave him a minute to calm down, waited until his breathing had returned closer to normal. “Oh, Daryl...” she whispered. His eyes remained fixed above him, not daring to look at her. “Daryl, I love you so much.” That did it; he turned his head to look at her. She kept her face calm, not smiling – he didn’t need a smile just now – and not angry – because she certainly wasn’t angry with him. 

Well, maybe she was a little miffed because he kept bringing up the same old argument time and time again. “I’m not sorry for what we did. I might be a little nervous...okay a lot nervous...if I do end up pregnant, but there isn’t much we can do about it now. But I think I feel the same way. There’s a tiny part of me that hopes I am, even though it’s kinda crazy to think that way, because it would be our baby. Our own family.” She wanted to hold him close to her, so she could look right at him, but his lying on his back made that more than a little difficult. Instead, she sat up with her feet tucked under her and faced him, and rested her hand on his chest, directly over his heart. “Daryl please look at me.” 

Daryl pulled his hands away from his face and turned towards her. His eyes looked glassy in the moonlight filtering through the window. Beth realized he was fighting back tears. She leaned down and kissed him again. “If I am pregnant, and that’s a big “if,” then we’ll handle it. Together. I’m yours and you’re mine, remember? I can’t think of anyone else in the world I would rather be with. I’ve never felt this way about anyone either, but the only thing I’m scared of is losing you. So don’t you dare start pulling away from me. You don’t get to decide for both of us, and I’m not going anywhere, no matter how much you screw up.” She grinned at him, hoping he’d take the joke. When she saw him roll his eyes and heard him scoff, she knew he had. 

She took his large hand in both of hers, and kissed along his palm, his knuckles, his fingertips. “You okay?” 

Daryl drew in a shaky breath. “Yeah,” he sighed. “Yeah, I’ll be okay, anyway. I still don’t know what the hell I did to deserve you. You’re far too good to me...far too good for me.”

Beth thought for a moment, wanting to say this perfectly. “Maybe, just maybe, because your life hasn’t been very easy, that someone up there thinks you deserve something good to balance it out.” She smiled down at him, then laughed. “Man, does that sound conceited or what?” she giggled.

Daryl raised his hand to comb his fingers through the hair that was draping along her face like a blond curtain. “Yeah, it kinda does,” he teased. “That doesn’t make it any less true, though.” 

Beth leaned to kiss him again, still trying to kiss his pain away. This time, however, she felt his arms wrap around her, holding her close to him. Her hands lay awkwardly against his chest, her elbows pinned to her sides, but she didn’t care. She pushed gently against him, breaking the kiss. “What do you mean, you can’t do this?” she asked suddenly.

He looked up at her dazedly, trying to think back to what he’d said. “I ain’t no good at feelings and talking and being in a relationship like this. I feel like I’m way in over my head here, not sure what to do, always worried that I’m gonna ruin everything by doing something stupid...kinda like I been doing so far.”

Beth bit her lip as she tried to come up with a way to help him past this. “Let me ask you...on our date, when we played the I Never game...of all the lines you could have said from Love Actually, why’d you pick the one you did?”

Daryl frowned a little as he thought. “I guess cause the guy...Mark, I think...he seemed like a good guy stuck in a shitty situation. He was tryin’ to do right by his best friend, even though it meant giving up something...someone...he loved. I think in the end he’d have done anything for the girl, just to see her and his best friend happy.”

“True,” Beth nodded thoughtfully before adding, “but he was kind of a big ol’ jerk to her, too. If you think about it, you two aren’t that different. Here he had one of the most romantic parts of the whole movie, and he never said a word. Any time he did talk, everything came out all wrong and he just kept pushing himself further away. I know he was doing it so he wouldn’t jeopardize his friendship, but...do you see what I mean? He wasn’t great with dealing with his feelings either.”

“Is this supposed to make me feel better?” Daryl grumbled. “The guy was in love with a girl he couldn’t have. Just had to stand back and let her go.”

“Okay, so maybe it’s not exactly like you, but you see my point, right?” Beth tried again. “You don’t have to do any grand gestures or spout off romantic poems. Just be you. That’s who I fell in love with. Just Daryl Dixon, plain and simple. I don’t want you to change into something you think I want. I just want you. And trust me, you can be plenty romantic without even trying.” Daryl raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I mean it! You know, our date may not have been all candle light and roses and a fancy dinner, but it was the best date I’d ever been on.”

Daryl scoffed again, “Well sure, but just how many have you been on?”

Beth glared at him with mock annoyance, “More than you think, mister. Just because I was a farm girl didn’t mean I didn’t like to go out. And it’s still true – it was the best date. Because it was with you just being you. That’s all I want. That’s who I love – just you.”

Daryl brought his hand up to the back of her neck and brought her down for a slow, scorching kiss. Their tongues twirled and danced around each other, and soon their hands were roaming over the other’s body. “Make love to me, Daryl,” Beth breathed against his lips. 

He stared up at her a long minute, waging a war inside his head. He finally wound his arms around her torso and rolled so he was on top of her. Before they got much further, he reached over to the night stand and grabbed a condom, silently swearing that he’d never forget again. They made slow, passionate love to each other late into the night, whispering praises and promises, and finally fell asleep still wrapped in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, this one was pretty intense on the feels, but I needed these two to deal with some major issues and get on the same page before the proverbial poo hits the fan again. (Have I said too much?)


	23. Chapter 23

The next morning, everyone gathered in the common apartment for breakfast. Beth had donned the Baby Bjorn carrier and had Judith settled snugly against her. The five of them grabbed all the duffle bags and totes they could find then headed downstairs and followed Tyreese and Jesse down the street and around the corner. 

Ani promised she was capable with handling her knife, but everyone else in the group agreed she needed something with a little more reach. First they came up to a hardware store. Tyreese and Daryl rushed in, making sure it was clear and, as they suspected, found that it was. It seemed all the buildings in town had been closed but not locked. Maybe there was something to Daryl’s theory that all the citizens of the town had just decided to hole up in the gym and wait out the disease. The government said it would take a couple weeks, so they probably didn’t figure they’d need to secure things so tightly. All the better for us, Daryl thought. He’d take any advantage they could get.

The group split up, grabbing things that could prove useful: rope, work gloves, a wide variety of tools. Jesse called for Ani to join him in one of the aisles. When she got there, she saw a row of shovels of all sizes and shapes. “I just thought you’d want something bigger than just the knife to protect yourself. You’d be able to use this as a tool, obviously, but as a close contact weapon if you needed to, or you could swing it around and have a longer reach, you know?”

Ani looked over the variety of shovels, realizing just how handy one could be. She turned her attention on Jesse and smiled at him shyly, lowering her eyes. She realized it was really nothing monumental, but the gesture meant that Jesse was thinking about her, about her safety, and that thought warmed her heart.

Beth happened to be walking by when she saw the awkward exchange. Suddenly Ani looked up at him, as if she was steeling herself for what was to come next. She launched herself at Jesse, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head against his chest. Jesse stood awkwardly with his arms out to his sides before hesitantly putting them around the younger girl. Beth grinned at the pair of them, reminded of when she had first hugged Daryl and caught him by surprise. Not wanting to encroach on their little moment, Beth continued her search through the store as if nothing had happened, smiling to herself.

Beth found Daryl standing in an aisle not far from Ani and Jesse, looking over different lock sets and bolt cutters. He glanced up at her and grinned, offering his arm around her as she drew nearer. “I’m thinkin’ we could use these, try and secure the apartment a little better.” He grabbed a few padlocks and tossed them into his bag, selected a couple bolt cutters, and brought Beth and Judith with him further down the aisle.   
Tyreese was waiting near the front of the store, apparently having grabbed anything he deemed pertinent. Ani and Jesse joined them soon after, Ani carrying a shiny new shovel. Beth noted they still stood an arm’s length apart from each other, but she could tell something was happening between them. 

As they left the hardware store, they discussed where to go next. Beth remembered she had promised to get Judith some shoes – especially important now that she was starting to walk. Tyreese, Jesse and Ani went on to the convenience store while Daryl and Beth back tracked to Bundles of Joy. Beth chose a pair of shoes with a nice flexible sole, figuring they’d be easier for Judith to walk in them. Daryl ended up finding a miniature pair of hiking boots, just like Beth had predicted, which would be much more practical for outside. As they started to leave the store, Beth saw jars of organic baby food. She wasn’t sure how fresh the food inside would be, and wasn’t exactly willing to risk it, but the sight of them made her think – Judith really should be eating more solid foods at this point, not just drinking formula from a bottle. 

She had a sudden epiphany and turned toward a section of shelves full of books, a slightly confused Daryl in her wake. “I just need to check something.” Beth selected a book, “What to Expect the First Year,” and began thumbing through it. According to the book, it was well past time for Judith to be eating solid foods, and should really be working on weaning her off the bottle, too. It turned out there were quite a few things Judith should be doing; as Beth turned each page, she found herself further engrossed in all the information. She looked up, startled by Daryl clearing his throat. 

“Ya know, you can take the book with us,” he said teasingly with a smile. “We need to be gettin’ back to the rest o’ the group.” 

Judith babbled happily at them. She looked up at Daryl, reaching her little hands out toward him, and blurted, “Da! Da!” 

Daryl stood in shock, his eyes and mouth gaping open. He looked at Beth, who looked just as surprised as he did. “Did...did she just...?”

Beth smiled up at him. “I heard it, too. Don’t get too excited, Daryl. She hasn’t heard anyone say “daddy” or “dada,” so I don’t think that’s what she’s going for. She’s a smart girl...I think she’s trying to say “Daryl.” I told you she loves you.” She looked back to Judith, rocking and bouncing her against her. “Don’t you, sweet girl? You love Daryl, don’t you?”

Judith kicked her little feet against Beth’s thighs, smiling up at her, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Ba! Ba! Da!”

Beth’s smile widened. “See? I think she’s trying to say our names, Daryl. She’ll be walking and talking before we know it.” 

Daryl rubbed his hand gently along the back of Judith’s head and wrapped his other arm around Beth’s shoulders. He bent to kiss the top of the baby’s head before pressing a kiss to Beth’s lips. “C’mon, ladies. Let’s catch up.”

The group made their way through the town, taking out the few straggling walkers that had wandered into town, giving Ani a chance to test out her new weapon. Beth noted how proud she looked at having been able to truly defend herself...and how proudly Jesse looked as he had watched her in action. 

They had found a camping store with a massive firearm section; Daryl made sure everyone was equipped with a pistol or rifle and the appropriate ammo before leaving. He also grabbed camouflage jackets for everyone. As the rest of the group went about looking for camping supplies, Beth followed Daryl further into the weapons before coming to the crossbows. Beth had already had some lessons on how to wield the weapon, and had been starting to get good; Daryl figured it was time she had her own instead of the two of them trying to share. Together they picked out a lighter model than Daryl’s but no less sturdy, and set both of them up with a quiver full of bolts. Satisfied with their find, they found the rest of the group, grabbed cans of food and fuel, and continued the search through the town.

There wasn’t much to be said of what the convenience store had to offer. They again spread through the store. The men scattered to different corners, looking for medicines, duct tape, and bandages first before wandering the aisles, looking for nothing in particular. Beth caught Ani’s eye and gestured toward the feminine hygiene section. Ani simply nodded and followed her lead. While Beth was stocking up, she asked Ani to grab some potty training pants from the next aisle over. Judith wasn’t near ready to start potty training, but Beth figured as long as they were here, they might as well stock up. As Beth was leaving the aisle herself, she noticed the display of condoms and grabbed a couple boxes. At the rate she and Daryl were going, they’d need to replenish their supply sooner rather than later. She grabbed a pregnancy test too...just in case.

They had gone up and down the street, stopping in the different shops that they thought might have something useful inside. The group collectively agreed that they’d gone through enough stores for the day. Everyone seemed to be getting tired and hungry, most of all Judith. After returning to the apartment building, Beth changed Judith’s diaper and headed to the common manager’s apartment for an early dinner. Everyone was gathered around the table, sharing stories from their past; the conversation eventually wound its way to planning for tomorrow. No one seemed too keen on venturing on to Terminus just yet. Daryl suggested heading towards the compound and staking it out, getting as much information as they could before making any decisions. Tyreese and Jesse agreed to the idea and began planning when and where they were going to go.

“Wait a minute,” Beth interrupted, still trying to feed Judith some applesauce she had found. “What are we supposed to do while you boys are out scouting? We can’t take Judith on something so dangerous, and I really don’t want to take her that far from home in case something happens. But at the same time, it’s not right that me and Ani have to stay back all the time. And don’t even try to give me that, ‘oh, you’re girls, you can’t handle it out there,’ crap.”

Ani piped up, “I can just stay back with Judith. I don’t mind.”

Daryl shook his head. “Nah, can’t leave ya here by yerself. Someone’s gotta stay back with ya.” He glowered at Beth for putting him in this position. He knew she had a point, but it’d just be easier for the three men to go run reconnaissance. 

“I’ll stay with her.”

All eyes swept across to Jesse. Out of all of them Ani looked most surprised, and the most pleased. “Are you sure?” she asked. She didn’t want him to feel guilted into staying behind.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind staying back and not going on a run or anything for a day,” Jesse replied, shrugging nonchalantly. Beth noticed him sneaking glances at Ani and then immediately casting his eyes back to the table between his hands. 

Daryl nodded, “It’s settled then. Us three’ll survey the area, you two stay with Judith. Meanwhile, there’s still a couple hours of daylight. I’m gonna go see if I can’t hunt down some fresh meat.” He stood up, shouldering his crossbow and his new quiver of bolts. He had just made it out the door and was heading downstairs when he heard footsteps following him. He stopped and turned to find Beth walking quickly toward him, her own crossbow resting on her back. “Where do you think you’re goin’?” he questioned.

“Hey, if we’re going to go scouting tomorrow, I want a little practice with my new bow,” Beth replied, matter of factly.

Daryl couldn’t refute her logic. It’s not that he minded her tagging along; he just hadn’t been hunting – actually hunting – with a companion for a long damn time. He looked at her hopeful expression, the eagerness in her eyes to get out and train, and knew he didn’t have a chance. “Aright. Let’s get goin’, then.” Beth smiled widely at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back at her. Together they headed out of the building and towards the woods at the edge of town.

When they had ventured into the woods a ways, Daryl pulled out his bandana and staked it to a tree with his hunting knife. Beth looked at him confusedly. “Gotta get yer aim up ta par before we try and really hunt anything. Can’t have ya shootin’ all over, scarin’ everything away. Need to make sure you’ll actually hit the target.”

Beth was a little insulted that he thought her aim would be that bad. The last time she had fired his bow was at a walker...right before they’d found the funeral home. She’d have hit the stupid thing if the animal trap hadn’t gotten her foot all messed up. Daryl had even said that the fact that she still hit the dumb thing’s neck from her position was impressive. Beth supposed it had been a long time since then, and she did have a new weapon to get used to anyway. She scowled a little, but accepted his terms anyway.

Daryl grinned at Beth trying to look angry. She was so cute, the way her nose wrinkled up as her lips puckered and her eyebrows drew together. He wanted to kiss her right then and there, but they were burning daylight, so he thought better of it. He walked over to her to show her how to load the weapon, then helped her set her stance. His hands roamed all over her, grazing over her shoulders, her arms, her waist and hips, positioning her just so to help her get the best accuracy. He swore all the touching was just to help her, but in a dark corner of his mind, he knew he just couldn’t keep his hands off her.

Beth felt her face grow warm as Daryl eased up behind her, the hard lines of his body pressed against her backside. She shouldn’t feel this nervous being so near him, especially after everything they had done in just the past week. Something about being in such close proximity to this man had her heart racing and her temperature rising, no matter the scenario. She let him move her around to where he wanted her, trying to focus on what he was telling her, but finding it increasingly difficult to breathe, let alone concentrate.

Her new weapon was significantly lighter than Daryl’s; Beth had no problem holding the stock against her arm and keeping the stirrup and limbs of the bow steady and parallel to the ground. She lined up her shot, remembering to keep both eyes open as Daryl had instructed, and slowly breathed out as she gently pulled the trigger. The bolt whizzed forward, zipping through the air before landing with a thunk into the bark of the tree. “Ha!” Beth laughed once, her voice full of pride. She looked at Daryl, who looked impressed. 

“Alright, alright, ya got one shot. Now reload and do it again,” Daryl acknowledged, not wanting to get her hopes up, but not wanting to crush them either.

After some struggling, Beth finally nocked the string back. Her arm muscles burned slightly at the effort, but she wouldn’t let Daryl know that. She set another bolt and took aim. Exhaling slowly again, she squeezed the trigger again, sending the bolt flying right into the middle of her target. She beamed up at Daryl.

“Not bad, Greene! Not bad at all,” Daryl sounded genuinely impressed. “Let’s try this now.” He walked over and folded the fabric in fourths, making it a much smaller target for Beth to try and hit. 

Beth reset the weapon, then set her shoulders firmly and took her time lining up the target in her sights. The bolt soared toward the tree, missing the mark by mere inches. She grunted in frustration and immediately started to reset the bow for another try before Daryl had a chance to comment. She rolled her shoulders back, lined up her sights, and tried again, this time hitting the lower left corner of the square of fabric, but she hit a corner nonetheless. Beth grinned broadly at Daryl at her accomplishment.

“Alright, alright. You can hit ‘em fine when you’ve got all the time in the world. What about when the pressure’s on? When every second counts? When you’ve got distractions comin’ at ya from all sides?” 

Beth continued resetting the bow and asked, “So, what, are you gonna go get some walkers to come after me?”

“Na...” Daryl shook his head. “It’d be way too much work and take way too much time. I got a better idea, though...” His sentence trailed off as a devilish smile crossed his lips. He sauntered up behind Beth, his hands landing on her hips. He began trailing kisses up and down her neck. “Go ‘head, hot shot. Hit yer target.” His tongue dragged along her throat before swirling around the shell of her ear.

A guttural sound came from Beth’s throat, “Oh, this is so not fair...” she complained. She began to take aim as Daryl’s hands began to roam over her body, covering her stomach, reaching up to cup her breasts, tickling her sides and resting on her ass before repeating their journey across her frame. Beth breathed in deeply, trying to steady herself. She’d be damned if she let Daryl win this round. She did her best to block the sensations swirling through her. She took her shot, and jumped up and cheered when the bolt hit its target. “Ha! Take that!” she playfully gloated. She lowered the bow and turned around in Daryl’s arms. She bent slightly to drop the weapon on the ground before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss.

Daryl was more than amazed at the woman in his arms. She was smart, kind, loving, and apparently had incredible aim with a crossbow, which just made her all the sexier. Not able to control himself any longer, he let his hand trail to the small of her back, pulling her closely against him, and deepened the kiss. 

Their tongues explored each other’s mouths; their hands roamed over the other’s body. Beth smiled against him and started walking toward him slowly, guiding him backward carefully. Before Daryl could look around to see what she was up to, his back landed against a large tree. “What do you think you’re doing?” he mumbled against her lips. 

Beth moved her lips along his jaw and down his throat before answering seductively, “Trying something new.” As she kissed along his neck, her hands found his belt buckle and began to unfasten it. 

Daryl pulled his head back, looking sharply down at her. “Beth...” he warned, but she wasn’t to be stopped; she unbuttoned his jeans and slowly unzipped his fly. His hands shot down, covering hers, trying to stop her from going any further. “Seriously, what are you doing?”

Beth’s arms snaked around his waist as she reached up for another kiss. She smiled against his lips and breathed, “Just consider this another one of my lessons.” Feeling bold, she traced her fingers under his shirt, loving the feel of his warm skin beneath her hands. She returned to the front of his pants and unhurriedly reached into the front of his boxers, wrapping her fingers around his shaft. Daryl’s fingers tightened around her upper arms, but the sharp intake of his breath told her he was enjoying this, too. She slid her hand up and down his length, rejoicing in the velvety hardness there, before releasing him and curling her fingers around his belt and the elastic of his boxers. 

“Do you trust me?” she whispered, echoing his question from the day before. Daryl swallowed hard and nodded, his eyes never leaving her. She slowly lowered the offending articles of clothing just enough to expose him to the slightly chilly air. She resumed pumping her hand along his cock while gradually lowering herself to her knees, positioning herself directly in front of his crotch. She suddenly felt Daryl’s hands on the top of her head and looked up at him.

“You sure you wanna do this?” Daryl asked warily. He couldn’t believe how forward she was behaving...nor could he believe that he was trying to stop her.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I wanna do for you what you did for me. Besides, wasn’t lesson one something about don’t start something you can’t finish? Well...I’m finishing what you started.” With that, she tentatively licked at   
the head of his cock, sending a chill through his spine. She gently wrapped her fingers around him, placing her other hand on his hip, and tried it again, tasting more of him, twirling her tongue all around him.   
Daryl’s fingers threaded through her hair, pulling slightly as the sensations she was causing shot through him like lightning. He looked down at her to find her beautiful eyes looking right back up at him. She closed her lips around him, taking more of him into her mouth, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Beth pulled away and asked, “Am I doing it right?”

It hit Daryl just then – he should have known – that she had never done this before either. He inhaled deeply and nodded again. His voice was thick and husky with desire when he answered, “You’re doing fine, sweetheart. Just keep doin’ what yer doin’.” He loosened his grip on her hair, not wanting her to feel forced in any way. “Just...watch yer teeth, okay?”

Beth nodded dutifully up at him, licked her lips, and took him in her mouth again, sliding a little further down his shaft, her tongue tasting all of him, making sure to tuck her teeth underneath her lips. She had the sudden instinct to move her hand to match her mouth; she knew her instincts were right on when she heard Daryl groan in pleasure above her. He had placed his hand back on her head, gently guiding her rhythm as she continued to suck him deeper into her mouth. 

“Mmmm...yes, baby...yes,” Daryl groaned as Beth increased her tempo. Her lips travelled further and further down his length. Beth had the sudden urge to moan against him; the sound sent vibrations all through him, bringing him closer to the edge. “God, Beth...I’m gettin’ close,” he ground out. 

Beth looked up at him again, their eyes meeting; Daryl couldn’t think of anything hotter than seeing this beautiful woman on her knees in front of him, swallowing him. Beth took him in, all the way to the hilt. She flattened her hand against him, her palm brushing against his balls and felt them tighten at her touch. The head of his cock hit the back of her throat, and she had to fight the strong urge to gag around him. She backed off, only slightly, to catch her breath before resuming her pace. She hummed around him, savoring the taste of him, so uniquely his. 

The added vibrations sent him spiraling over the edge. He held Beth’s head in place as he thrust into her waiting mouth, grunting and groaning his release. She swallowed everything he gave her, noticing his earthy and musky taste, loving that she could bring such pleasure to him. 

Beth kept her lips pressed firmly against him as she slowly pulled away from him, effectively cleaning him off, and kissed the tip of him before swallowing one last time. She carefully brought his boxers back up to his waist, covering him, before standing up to face him, her hands reaching for the flaps of his jeans.

Daryl was trying hard to catch his breath. “Jesus, girl. That was…holy shit.” He brought both hands up to cup her face and kissed her hard. He moaned against her lips before releasing her. “You are incredible. Every damn thing about you is just…perfect.” 

Beth smiled saucily at him. “So…it was good?”

Daryl’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “Good?!? Damn, girl. You have no idea just how sexy you are, do you?” He planted another kiss against her lips. “Yes, it was really, really good.” He trailed his fingers down her arms then buttoned his pants and zipped up his fly. “Seems you just aced that lesson on your own, didn’t you?”

Beth giggled, “Well, I do have a pretty good teacher.” She pulled him close for a hug, resting her cheek against his chest. His hands roamed along her back. Everything about this moment felt so incredibly right for both of them. 

Daryl was just getting ready to suggest getting going when he heard the telltale sound of rustling undergrowth and raspy breathing. He looked over Beth’s head and saw a lone walker slowly making its way toward them. They were really damn lucky it hadn’t snuck up on them while they were both distracted. Daryl released her and picked up both weapons, handing hers to Beth. “Looks like it’s time to pick up on that hunting lesson again. You up for it?”

Beth looked over her shoulder then grabbed her crossbow with a grin. She straightened her stance, checked her sights, and fired, hitting the walker square in the forehead. She had moved seamlessly, smoothly, as if she’d been hunting every day of her life. 

The look on her face was one of absolute delight; Daryl was downright captivated by her. This woman, his Beth, was capable of anything, and she was all his. His heart swelled with pride for her. “God damn, Beth. Just when I think you couldn’t get any sexier.” He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nibbled on her earlobe. “I can’t wait to get you back home,” he growled against her.

Beth turned her head towards him, kissing him soundly before stepping out of his embrace. “Not yet, though. We still have dinner to catch.” She made her way to the walker and pulled the bolt out of its head, wiping it clean on the back of its shirt. Replacing it in her quiver, she stepped to the tree she’d been using for target practice and retrieved the bolts still sticking out of the trunk there and tucked his bandana into her back pocket. She looked back at Daryl, who hadn’t moved from against the tree yet, and grinned at him. “You comin’?”

Daryl pushed himself off the tree trunk and caught up with her. “You have no idea…” he murmured to himself. Just when he thought he couldn’t fall any more in love with her, she went and rocked his world twice over, and he realized he wouldn’t have it any other way.

XXXXX

They hadn’t found much in the short time they were out hunting; Beth managed to shoot a squirrel while Daryl had bagged himself a groundhog. As they were walking through the woods, Daryl pointed out deer tracks, which they started to follow, but hadn’t managed to find anything substantial in the fading autumn light; it would have to wait for another day. Together they walked back toward town, hand in hand, enjoying the peaceful quiet around them, not needing to break the comfortable silence with conversation. They were both content to just be in each other’s presence. Before leaving the woods, Daryl showed Beth how to field dress the animal. He smirked as she squirmed and looked queasy at the brutality of it, but was overall impressed that she kept up with him for the most part. 

They returned to the apartment building to find Tyreese watching Jesse and Ani spar in the hallway. They had set up the play pen at the end of the hallway, keeping Judith well out of any potential harm as they practiced. Tyreese looked over at Beth and Daryl and nodded a greeting before returning to watch the younger two. 

“You guys hungry? We got some fresh meat for dinner,” Beth offered. 

“Yeah, I could eat,” Tyreese accepted. Jesse and Ani lowered their weapons and nodded. 

Beth made quick work of cooking up the meat, coating it with barbecue sauce to help hide the gaminess. After everyone had some, she opened up one of the bags of candy from the video store and offered everyone some. They spent rest of the twilight rehashing the plans for the next day. Looking around the table at everyone, Beth happily realized the group had fallen into a sort of routine. Their group was becoming closer every day, sharing food and experiences with each other. It warmed her heart to have a sense of normalcy in the chaotic world they lived in.

As if on cue, Judith started fussing in her sleepy way. Taking Judith’s lead, everyone said their good nights and went to their rooms, resting up before the day of scouting. 

Beth changed Judith into a clean diaper and her pajamas. She prepared a bottle of formula, deciding she needed to start weaning her off the bottle soon, but wasn’t about to start tonight. She rocked Judith in her arms, humming absently a simple melody as the baby’s eyes drifted shut. Convinced she was sound asleep, Beth gently laid Judith in her crib. 

As she entered her room, she saw Daryl already in bed, tucked under the covers, his bare shoulders showing he was sleeping without a shirt on tonight. Beth briefly wondered what he was wearing below the covers, but decided that if he was already asleep, she wasn’t about to start anything, that he needed his sleep. She knew he didn’t get nearly as much rest as he truly needed, not that he’d ever admit to it. She slipped out of her clothes and into her night shirt and crept into bed, not wanting to wake him.

Beth shrieked as Daryl’s arm shot out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her forcefully to him, his lips seeking hers. He pressed himself against her; she could feel his hardness against her hip. She was a little shocked to discover he was completely naked. He growled suggestively in her ear, “I told you I couldn’t wait to get you back home.” 

Beth smiled and stretched against him, wrapping her legs around him. She let the sensations he was causing flood her senses as Daryl set out to prove just how sexy she really was to him.


	24. Chapter 24

Beth woke as sunlight streamed through the bedroom window. She found herself completely tangled up in Daryl’s arms, pressed close against his chest, their legs draped around each other’s. She pressed her lips to his neck, tracing his jawline, before finally seeking his warm lips. She felt him move, his arms tightening around her. He hummed low in her ear, “Mornin’” 

Beth grinned up at him, memories of the night before flashing through her mind, “Good morning. Did you sleep okay?”

Daryl kissed her forehead, her temple, along her cheekbone, murmuring, “Never better,” before sealing his lips over hers. Beth loved waking up like this; loved giving and receiving slow, lazy kisses, not moving with any real motivation or direction. She loved just being with Daryl, in these sweet, stolen moments alone, when she could forget about the world gone to hell outside; where they could lose themselves in each other. His voice shook her from her reverie. “Come on, darlin’. We got a lot of ground to cover today. Need ta get goin’.” She groaned and stretched against him then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss. 

Beth loosened her grip on his neck and pulled away, just enough to be able to look into his eyes. “Daryl?” Beth began, sudden concern crossing her features. “Do you think it’s safe leaving Judith with Ani and Jesse? I mean, they seem like nice people, but do we really know them?” 

Daryl thought for a while. Why the hell hadn’t he thought of that? Hell, with finding Terminus, Carol taking off the way she did, and his apparent insatiable lust for Beth...no. There’s no excuse to let his guard down. Not anymore. “I think Jesse seems alright. Haven’t heard Tyreese say anything about him one way or the other.”

Beth nodded, “Yeah...spending the day with Ani the other day was good. I got to know her a lot better at least. There’s just something...I dunno...odd, I guess, about how she never wants to leave. She always volunteers to stay inside.” 

Daryl smirked over at her, “Ya mean like how you volunteered to take care of Judith at the prison? As far as I remember, I only saw you outside in the yard a handful of times, and sure never saw you come with us on a run.”

Beth tried to scowl at him, but failed as her frown turned to a grin. “Oh, that was different. I would have volunteered for a run if I didn’t have Judith. Besides, if I went, that would have taken someone stronger off the run to stay back and watch Judith.”

“Yer plenty strong,” Daryl said as he tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear. “Stronger than a lotta people I know.” 

“Still,” Beth continued, “it’s like she’s afraid to go outside. I trust her with Judith, I just wonder...ya know?”

“I think they’ll be fine. Jesse seems like a good kid. And if they’re staying here, inside, don’t see no reason to worry.” Daryl kissed her on the forehead. “Besides, someone once told me there’s still good people out there. Wouldn’t kill you to have a little faith.”

Beth beamed up at Daryl before kissing him, her heart skipping a beat at hearing her own words quoted back to her. She didn’t think this man would ever stop surprising her. “I love you,” she whispered against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. She hitched her knee over his hip, pressing herself along the length of him.

Daryl’s arm tightened around her waist, his broad hand splaying across her back, reaching up between her shoulder blades before grazing his fingertips down her spine, over her hip, and settling in the crook of her knee. “I love you, too.” He kissed her, passionately but still too brief; Beth groaned as he pulled away from her. He grinned and murmured against her, “Still gotta get up and get going, though.” He playfully swatted her behind before rolling out of bed and chuckled as she gasped at the sudden contact with his hand...then grumbled in dismay at the thought of getting out of the warm bed. “Come on, girl. Up an’ at ‘em.” He threw the blankets off the both of them, causing Beth to curl into herself, rolling to his side of the bed, seeking his warmth. He placed a loud kiss on the side of her neck and lightly tickled his fingertips up and down her side, causing her to squeal in surprise before erupting into a fit of girly giggles. Daryl pulled on his jeans and fastened his belt as Beth stretched and slowly crawled out of bed. He hated to pull his eyes away from her lithe body, with curves in all the right places. He really hated having to get out of bed, having to leave her embrace, having to face the crappy world around them. If he was going to keep her safe, however, it was an unfortunate necessity. 

Daryl headed to the common room while Beth took care of Judith, whom he noticed was standing proudly in her crib and reaching for Beth as she drew near, calling out to both of them with her now familiar chorus of “Ba!” and “Da!” He was still smiling as he scrounged around for breakfast in the kitchen cupboards, settling on some crackers and that delicious Nutella spread that Beth had found. He was reluctant to let anyone else but the two of them know about its existence, wanting to save it for just them; he ate leaning against the counter, not joining the rest of the group at the table, hoping to hide the sacred jar behind him. 

Once everyone had eaten, Beth handed Judith over to Ani, who started bouncing the baby on her knee. Daryl made sure Jesse had his pistol loaded and ready. “If there’s any trouble, fire away. We’ll hear the shots and come running.” Jesse nodded solemnly. Ani looked nervous; Beth noticed and nudged Daryl with her elbow. “Uh…not that there’ll be any trouble. Things have been really quiet, and we aren’t gonna be very far anyway,” he offered sheepishly.

With that, Daryl, Beth and Tyreese headed out to the street, and started following the train tracks toward Terminus. After walking about a mile or so, Daryl led them off to the left, immediately feeling the safety of cover in the woods lining the tracks. “It ain’t far now,” Daryl assured them. Sure enough, after walking another half hour or so, there was a chain link fence standing in front of them, overgrown with weeds and tall grass, so much that at first glance, Beth could hardly tell there was a fence there at all. “Prob’ly shouldn’t get too close. Dunno who’s on the other side, or if anyone’s watchin’ now.” 

The trio began following the fence line, seeing just how far it stretched. The perimeter of the compound had a gentle curve to it, like a large circle. They kept trying to gather clues as to what could be happening on the other side of the fence. So far all they could see was empty cartons and pallets heaped in piles. There was no rhyme or reason to their placement, not organized at all, but there was a definite pathway winding between them. Daryl motioned for the other two to stay put and ventured toward the fence near a particularly large section of plant cover. He returned after a moment with a concerned look on his face. “Looks like bullets, well, ricochet marks. Means they were shooting at the ground. Why the hell would they waste ammo like that?”

“Maybe they’re just shitty at shooting,” Tyreese offered. 

“I wish,” Daryl said wistfully, bringing his thumb to his mouth to start chewing on it as he thought, “but I don’t think so. Didn’t see a bunch of bullet holes in the tops of the piles. It’s almost like they were doing it on purpose. Can’t figure it out. What’s really weird is I didn’t see anyone walking around. Not a soul. At the prison, there was always something going on. If they’re taking in people left and right like their signs claim, where the hell is everyone?”

“Let’s keep looking around,” Beth suggested. “It’s the middle of the day, maybe they’re all inside for lunch or something.” Daryl nodded at this. He hoped it was something simple like that, but had a bad feeling there was something much darker going on. 

They continued to follow the fence line, approaching what appeared to be the back of the compound. Beth and Tyreese had been keeping their eyes on what was on the other side of the fence, so they ran into the back of Daryl when he suddenly stopped and crouched to the ground. “Daryl?” Beth started before he shushed her and pointed in front of him. 

Not twenty feet in front of them was a group of walkers, all hunched over, all completely transfixed on something on the ground in their midst. As he watched, Daryl realized they were all eating, and he wasn’t about to wait around to see what it was. He quietly growled over his shoulder, “Stay low, stay quiet, and let’s get the fuck outta here.” It took all their self-control to keep from booking it out of there; they knew any sudden movements would only attract the walkers toward them. 

When they were a safe enough distance away, they righted themselves, Tyreese softly groaning at being hunched over for so long. Moving faster now that they were walking upright again, they made their way toward the tracks again, intending to scope out the entrance to the compound. Together, the three of them approached the large gate leading to another pathway like they had seen earlier, but instead of random piles of cartons and boxes, they saw planters full of flowers and vegetables, a washtub with a washboard sticking out of it, a laundry line full of clothes. “Someone’s trying to make this place look homey,” Tyreese observed. “After seeing the rest of the place, I sure don’t trust it, though.”

“It’s like one of your traps,” Beth added. “Like you showed me before,” she looked at Daryl, “you need some kind of bait, then when you’ve got the prey interested, you get them to where you want them. Maybe that’s what the ricochet marks were...getting people to go where they wanted them once they were inside.” The two men looked at her, slightly slack-jawed and bug-eyed. “What?” Beth asked innocently.

Daryl looked to Tyreese, then back at Beth. “You are too damn smart for yer own good sometimes, you know that?” he smiled at her. Beth blushed a little and grinned back. “Come on, let’s get a look around the other side.”

The sun was directly overhead as they rounded to the opposite side of the large train yard. As they moved further away from the train tracks, they began to hear indistinct voices filtering through the air. Daryl motioned for everyone to get low and take cover in the bushes, hiding their presence, but still allowing them to observe the inhabitants of Terminus. 

The three of them moved closer to where the sound was coming from while keeping their distance from the fence itself. Beth peered through the brush and bramble between them and the compound, searching for anyone she might recognize – any member of her prison family.

What she saw instead made her stomach drop and her blood run cold. A blond woman was wearing a poncho that looked just like Daryl’s; an older man was wearing a duplicate of Rick and Carl’s sheriff’s hat; a young man turned around and revealed a katana strapped to his back. 

Words failed her; her breath was caught in her lungs. The most she could do was place a shaky hand on Daryl’s shoulder and point with her other hand. When he realized what she was pointing at, she felt him tense under her fingers and heard him mutter, “Shit.”

Tyreese followed where the other two were looking and recognized their friends’ belongings. “Ain’t that the riot gear Glenn had stored up in his cell? And that orange back pack? If that’s their stuff...where do you think they could be?”

Daryl mumbled, “Looks like they found Terminus. Signs say those who arrive survive...let’s hope they ain’t lying.”

Beth looked between the two men, anxiety creeping into her voice, “What are we gonna do? We’re so close, we can’t just leave them in there.”

Daryl shook his head, “We gotta come up with a plan somehow. We’re in way over our heads here. Let’s head back home and we’ll figure something out.” He motioned to get up, slowly, and crept back away from the fence, making his own path through the woods back to follow the railroad tracks. 

After walking a few minutes, he stopped in front of a large oak tree. As they drew closer, Beth could see several boards had been nailed to the trunk – a ladder leading to a platform above them. “A tree house? Here?” Beth questioned.

Daryl shook his head, “Nah...deer stand. Too small for a tree house. Wonder if anything’s still up there?” 

“I’ll go check it out,” Beth volunteered. She shouldered her crossbow and began climbing. When she reached the platform, she saw a faded, weather-worn blanket, some rope tied securely to the trunk, but not much else. She stood up and took in her surroundings, admiring the view and relishing the gentle breeze that picked up and fluttered the leaves on the branches around her, tousling her hair around her face. She was about to head back down the makeshift ladder when she heard voices approaching below her – voices that she was sure did not belong to Daryl or Tyreese. 

Daryl noticed the men coming straight toward them, though apparently oblivious to their presence. “Hold it right there,” he demanded with a growl. Beth peered over the edge of the platform and saw that Daryl aiming his crossbow at the chest of a skinny but still muscular man with shaggy blond hair; in his hands was a rifle, though at the moment it wasn’t aimed at anyone or anything. Tyreese had drawn his weapon as well, aimed at another man with a pistol who looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place where she had ever seen him. “We ain’t lookin’ fer trouble, so just back off and go your way, we’ll go ours,” Daryl ordered.

“Hey, man, let’s just calm down, aright?” the first man suggested calmly, raising one hand in the air and letting his rifle drop. “We’re just out here lookin’ for some food for our people. Seems you found our little hunting spot.” He took in the two guarded men in front of him and tried to make nice, “That’s a sweet bow ya got there,” he said appraisingly. “Look, why don’t we all just put our weapons down and talk, huh? I’m Patrick. This here’s Scott.” He extended his hand for a handshake.

As the men all lowered their weapons, Beth’s mind started racing. Scott...where had she heard that name? It wasn’t one of the Woodbury people who had moved in with them at the prison. It wasn’t one of Joe’s group. The answer came to her suddenly and she let out a gasp, drawing the attention of Patrick and Scott, who reached for their guns again. 

“NO!” Daryl shouted, putting himself in front of the men so they wouldn’t be able to get a shot aimed at her. “She’s with us. Just climbed up there for a look around.” He waited until the men relaxed again before putting his arms down and called up to Beth to let her know it was safe to come down and join them. Once she was on the ground, Daryl introduced the group to Patrick and Scott and handshakes were exchanged between the group. “Where y’all from?” Daryl asked.

“From Terminus,” Patrick answered with a smirk. “Maybe ya saw the signs?” he said with a short bark of a laugh.

Daryl tensed again, his fingers tightening on the stock of his crossbow. “Yeah, we seen ‘em. Just how truthful are they?” he asked, not letting his guard down for a minute, no matter how charming this guy was trying to be.  
The two men exchanged a look before Patrick answered, trying to laugh off the hidden accusation, “What do you mean? All who arrive, survive, man.”

Beth wanted to argue, but Daryl cut her off. “That’s bullshit, man. We saw a bunch of stuff that belongs to our people, but didn’t see any sign of ‘em.” He raised his bow, not taking aim yet, but preparing for   
whatever might come next. “What happened to ‘em?”

“We don’t spend a lot of time on the inside. What did they all look like?” Scott queried.

Beth, Tyreese and Daryl started describing the missing members of their group – Rick and Carl, Glenn and Maggie, Sasha, Bob, Michonne. They even asked about Carol, figuring she’d probably made her way here.  
“Yeah, we haven’t seen anyone like that, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Like I said, we spend most of our time out here,” Patrick explained, a hint of regret in his voice that he didn’t have more information to offer them.

“I heard some of the Termites talking last night at dinner,” Scott added, “that there was a big group of newcomers in A Wing. Maybe it’s them.”

Tyreese frowned and asked, “What’s A Wing?”

Patrick let out a long sigh. “That’d be Gareth’s doing. He’s kinda in charge of how things are run here at Terminus. It was his idea to make the entrance all warm and cozy, getting people to let their guard down. First sign of someone asking too many questions or putting up a fight, the newcomers get put in a holding cell or a locked room or a box car until Gareth decides who’s worthy to stay.”

Suddenly too pissed to think straight, and too concerned for his family to not act, Daryl brought his bow up and aimed right at Patrick’s head. Patrick put his hands up after dropping his rifle to the ground, “Hey, hey! Cool your jets, man! I didn’t do it. I think it’s fuckin’ shitty what he does. Damn power hungry asshole. I don’t like it one bit, but what are ya gonna do, right? Been living here since almost the beginning of all this. Don’t really wanna get tossed outta here on my ass and have to start all over.” Daryl slowly lowered his weapon, but kept it ready, just in case.

“And you won’t do a thing to stop it, huh?” Tyreese finally spoke up. Patrick looked nervous as Tyreese took a step closer, imposing his size as if to intimidate a straight answer out of him.

“Stop it?” Patrick asked, in disbelief. “Not sure I could if I wanted to. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to take Gareth out, but his group of Termites would have me kicked out of here or worse if I tried anything. There aren’t many of us left who disagree with what he does. I hate to say, but it’s just not worth the risk.” He saw the three exchange looks, as if trying to determine how on the level he really was. “Look, I got no ties to this place other than it’s the only place I’ve been since, ya know, before. Me and Scott here don’t take any part in what goes on inside. That’s why we’re out here hunting for food.”

“I’m feel the same as Patrick,” Scott added. “Except I do have ties here, my son Ethan and my wife...”

“Christy,” Beth finished for him. All four men turned sharply and stared at her.

“How the hell did you know that?” Scott demanded.

“You used to live in the little town a couple miles that way, right?” Beth asked, pointing in the direction they had come. Scott nodded silently. “I think we’re staying in your apartment. Small world, huh?” She offered a small smile.

Daryl looked closer at Scott. He needed a shave, and he’d lost a lot of weight, but sure enough, the man standing in front of him was the same man as the picture frame in his and Beth’s bedroom. Well, that doesn’t make this awkward at all, Daryl sarcastically thought to himself. He wondered if Scott was thinking the same thing.

“Look, what if you had help? You help us, we help you?” Beth suggested. The four men waited for an explanation. “We want to get our people back, you know where they are. You want to stop Gareth and change how things are run, we’ve got the manpower and the weapons to help, especially once we get the rest of our group out.” As the men looked at each other, weighing their options and trying to find a downside, Beth felt a swell of pride; she especially felt it when Daryl smiled appreciatively at her. 

The five of them began to make plans to get the rest of the prison group out of whatever holding cell they were in and how to take out Gareth and his followers. It would take time to prepare, so they agreed to meet back at the deer stand in two days. They parted ways, everyone shaking hands in agreement. Beth was nervous, a little scared even, but excited at the prospect of getting to see her family again. Her hand slid into Daryl’s as they walked back toward the town, and he laced his fingers through hers. She sent a silent prayer up to heaven, asking for everything to go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness. I’m sorry this is so short. I swear, I worked on this chapter for the better part of a week and this is the best I could get. I’m not sure what’s got me in such a mental block, but I’m just not happy with the drivel my brain is coming up with. We’re getting close to the end of the story, so maybe that’s it...my muse is just dragging her feet before the finish line. Who knows?  
> Lots of love to all my reviewers/followers/favoriters. Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and support...and patience!   
> Thanks especially to Hearts1989 for lighting the proverbial fire under my butt to get me working on this chapter. If you’re looking for some fine fanfics, check hers out.  
> Also, thanks to my husband, Remi Savant, for letting me bounce ideas off you.   
> As a shameless plug, Remi and I have been working on a new Walking Dead story – Second Chance. I’ll be posting it under my name (making it easier for you fine people to find it). Go check it out – let me know what you think!


	25. Chapter 25

Daryl, Beth and Tyreese returned to the apartment building to find Ani and Jesse in Beth and Daryl’s apartment, sitting next to each other on the couch, Judith asleep in her crib. They had found the crossword puzzle book Daryl discovered their first day there, and had apparently been working on solving puzzle after puzzle together. Beth grinned at the pair, looking awfully cozy on the couch, but kept her thoughts to herself, not wanting to embarrass the fledgling couple. Instead, she laid her crossbow on the dining room table and went to make dinner for the rest of the group. 

While they ate, Daryl and Tyreese filled Ani and Jesse in on what had happened outside Terminus. The five of them went over the details of what was going to go down two days from now. They agreed that Ani would stay in the apartment with Judith. She would have a couple pistols with her. They would make sure all the apartments were locked, include the manager’s apartment, to help ensure her safety.

Tyreese would hole up in the abandoned warehouse next to the tracks with his rifle and plenty of extra ammo. From this vantage point, he’d be able to see who was coming and going and be able to keep anyone unsavory from getting too close. 

Since they were all the fastest moving of the group, Beth, Daryl and Jesse would be the ones to actually sneak into Terminus with the help of Patrick and Scott. Scott’s wife Christy would be helping from the inside, making sure doors were unlocked that needed to be. According to Scott, Christy was one of the few medics at Terminus, so she was granted access to almost all parts of the compound. 

Beth was nervous about the whole undertaking. Even though they’d be doing most of their work after sunset, under the cover of darkness and evening shadows, there was a lot of risk involved. She wanted to trust Daryl, trust the plans they were finalizing; she wanted to be proved wrong.

Once everyone was sure of what was expected, they went to their respective rooms, as had become routine, bidding each other good night. Beth settled Judith in her crib, giving her a bottle of water to drink as she fell asleep. She stood at the crib, staring down at the little girl, softly humming an old lullaby as she watched the baby’s eyes start to droop sleepily. 

Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,  
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;  
Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,  
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!  
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,  
List while I woo thee with soft melody;  
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,  
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!  
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

Even after Judith had stopped sucking on the bottle and start dozing, Beth stayed by her crib, just watching her sleep, her face so peaceful. Beth reached down and gently took the bottle from her, placing it in the corner of the crib for easy access if Judith decided she needed it again. 

Beth felt Daryl come up behind her, pressing close to her, his hands sliding from her hips around to close around her waist. She loved this feeling, of safety and security while wrapped snugly in his arms. She smiled and wriggled against him as his lips found her shoulder and left a trail of kisses along her neck and along her jawline; his beard was delightfully abrasive against her sensitive skin. His mouth found her earlobe, biting down gently before swirling his tongue along the shell of her ear. She felt him chuckle wickedly and smile against her as his hand snaked up her stomach, coming to rest on her breast, his fingers teasing and lightly twisting her nipple before reaching across and paying attention to her other breast. She let her head drop back to rest on his broad shoulder, granting his mouth all the access he wanted to her neck. 

His other hand began to drift southward, brushing against the button of her jeans, when she gasped and suddenly turned around, facing him and pressing her breasts against his strong chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. She smiled as she kissed him, her tongue sliding into his mouth easily and relishing the taste of him. 

He brought one hand to cup the back of her head, threading his fingers through her hair. He turned them together and took a step closer to her, then another, until she finally took the hint and stepped backward, letting him lead her into the bedroom, never breaking their kiss. As they crossed into the bedroom, Daryl reached back and closed the door behind them before continuing to guide her toward the bed. She sat on the mattress when the back of her knees found the edge of the bed, breaking their kiss. Her hands immediately sought his belt buckle, which she quickly undid and moved on to the button and fly of his jeans. His hands gripped her wrists suddenly and asked, “What’s the hurry, sweetheart?”

She looked up at him through her eyelashes and smiled sweetly. “No hurry, really. Just want to give my man some pleasure. Is that so bad?”

Daryl dropped a kiss to her lips and answered, “No, not bad at all, and I’m more than happy to go along with ya on that, but you mind if I take care of you a little first?” He smiled sexily at her and waggled his eyebrows at her.

Beth’s face fell, her hands dropping to her lap. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” she said, a little forlornly.

Daryl knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. “What’s wrong, baby?” his voice thick with concern. He searched her face for a clue as to what could be upsetting her. She fixed him with a pointed look, raising her eyebrows purposefully. After a moment of wracking his brain for what she was trying to tell him, he said, “Oh,” then he thought a little longer and added another, more understanding, “OH!”

Beth’s eyes dropped to their joined hands and she mumbled, “Yeah...I’m sorry, Daryl.”

“Ain’t got nothin’ to be sorry for,” Daryl gazed up at her. “Are you okay? Do you need anything? I can head down to that convenience store down the street if you...”

Beth cut him off, “No, I have everything taken care of. Stocked up when we were there the other day.” She smiled at his surprised look. “I told you I could be sneaky, too.” She giggled when he narrowed his eyes at her, but still kept grinning up at her. “I just feel bad.”

Daryl’s eyebrows knitted together. “What’s a matter?” he asked as he moved to sit next to her, keeping one hand in her lap, the other wrapping around her shoulders, holding her close.

Beth took a deep breath, then released it, before looking up at him again. “I hate not being able to do anything with you. Now that I know what I’m missing, I REALLY hate not being able to.”

Daryl chuckled as he rubbed his hand along her upper arm. “It’s really, okay, darlin’. I hope you don’t think I expect to have sex with you every night.”

“You don’t?”

Daryl was a little hurt that she ever thought he would expect anything from her. “Of course not,” he said, trying to sound reassuring. “Don’t get me wrong, I love being with you like that...and I’d never ever turn it down...but if there’s ever a time you don’t feel like it, you can tell me...any day of the month,” he added, hoping she understood he meant not just one week a month. 

She nodded, giving him a small smile. “Do you still want me too...” she began, looking down at his crotch suggestively.

Daryl shook his head, “Nah, s’alright. Tell you what, if I can’t do for you, you don’t have to do for me either.”

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Darlin’,” he said laughingly, pulling her close, “like I said, I’m not gonna turn it down, but I’m not expecting it at all. We’ll just take a night off tonight and see what happens tomorrow, okay?” Beth nodded against his shoulder. “Let’s get to bed, alright?”

They changed into their sleepwear and slipped into bed together. Daryl offered his arm, and Beth laid her head against his bicep, curling into him, her hand resting on his chest. He brought his hand up to her face, smoothing back her hair before caressing her cheek. He leaned in and kissed her softly, whispering “I love you,” against her lips.

She smiled, not hesitant at all anymore now that Daryl had relieved any pressure on her to perform, so to speak. “I love you, too. So much. I do feel bad, though.”

Beth could hear the smirk Daryl gave her as he spoke. “For what? For not having sex? Beth...”

“Well, that,” she interrupted. “But not just that. Since I started I’ve just been thinking about what we talked about the other night.” When he didn’t answer right away, she added, “About us starting a family. You sounded kind of excited about having a baby. And for a while...I really hoped we were.”

Daryl pulled her close, wrapping both arms around her, and kissed her forehead, her cheek, the tip of her nose, covering her face with kisses before landing on her delicious lips. “Beth, it’s okay. It’s not like this is the best world to have a baby in anyway. I ain’t goin’ nowhere, I swear, as long as you want me.” And even after, he thought. He knew he’d love this woman the rest of their lives, whether they were together or not.

Beth kissed him again. “I’m not going anywhere, either. And I’m always going to want you,” she whispered the last part and pulled in close to him, feeling his heartbeat against her cheek. 

They shared a quiet moment as he traced long slow patterns against her back, completely lost in thoughts of her. He was so in love with this woman wrapped in his arms, and it excited and terrified him at the same time, all the while calmed by her very presence. He had always considered himself a loner, never wanting or needing another person to depend on, or to depend on him. Now he hated any time he spent away from her; even going out and hunting wasn’t the same without her. He couldn’t imagine his life without her, and knew he’d fight to the death to protect her and to keep her with him. He was never letting go of her again. After a long while Daryl spoke, “You still awake?” He turned his head, trying to look down into her face. Her eyes met his, and took that as a yes. “I been thinkin’...seems to me there’s only one way to go from here.”

Beth looked at him, her eyes full of worry and concern. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, you’re mine, I’m yours. Neither of us are goin’ anywhere. Didja ever think about getting married?”

Beth shot up to a sitting position, looking down at him in near disbelief. “Are you serious?”

Daryl smirked up at her, “Well...yeah. Why not?”

“Did you just ask me to marry you?” Beth asked incredulously.

He sat up to meet her. “Not necessarily. Just askin’ if you ever thought about it.” 

Beth looked at him skeptically. She knew he already knew the answer to that. They had talked about it on the porch of the moonshine shack, how she had wished Maggie and Glenn would have a baby, and her dad would have lots of grandbabies running around. Surely he knew she’d wanted that too, she just didn’t have anyone to share that dream with...until now. “Yes...yes, I’ve definitely thought about getting married. Just didn’t think it was all the possible being the end of the world and all.”

Daryl grinned, “Hey, stranger things have happened.”

“Oh yeah, like what?” Beth challenged.

Daryl thought a minute, trying to find the perfect words to show her exactly what he was feeling. He finally answered, in a low voice, “Like an old redneck, who falls in love with a beautiful girl, loses her and finds her again...and has the chance to spend the rest of his life with her.” He looked up at her, his eyes partially hidden behind his shaggy hair. He would swear he could see tears welling up in her eyes. “Shit, Beth, don’t cry.” He raise his hand to cup her face before drawing her in for a kiss.

“I can’t help it. Hormones, remember?” she laughed softly against his lips. She pulled back slightly and sighed, “Oh, Daryl, I love you so much,” before returning to kiss him again. She felt his arms wrap around her waist as he brought the two of them back toward the mattress.

“C’mon, sweetheart. Let’s get some sleep. We got a big couple of days ahead of us,” he kissed her one more time before positioning her back against his arm, cuddling around her, cocooned together in the thick comforter. He heard her sigh happily, her breath ghosting across his chest. “Good night, Beth. Sweet dreams.”

Beth grinned against him. “Only if they’re of you.” It took her no time to fall asleep, a smile curving her lips upward as she drifted into beautiful dreams of him.

XXXXX

Daryl had left early the next morning. Beth didn’t even remember him leaving; no kiss goodbye, no note, nothing. All she found was an empty pillow next to her when she finally woke up. She wouldn’t worry, though. Deep down she knew he would never leave her again, not intentionally. Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled their brief conversation from last night and a wide smile crossed her face. Had Daryl really asked her if she wanted to get married? The man never ceased to surprise her. She knew he had a romantic side, and this most recent development only proved that.

The only sadness about the whole thing was that she didn’t really have anyone to share her news with…well, her almost news, anyway. She wanted nothing more than to run to Maggie and tell her, to let her share in her excitement. She swallowed back any tears that were about to fall. If everything went well tomorrow, if Maggie was in fact stuck in Terminus and they were able to get her and everyone else out, then she would have her chance – she would have her sister back.

A brief sadness came over Beth when she thought of Maggie. She remembered seeing the signs for Terminus, always followed by a message from Maggie to Glenn to find her at Terminus. Beth could understand her sister wanting to find Glenn so badly. If she were separated from Daryl, she would do everything in her power to find him again. Still…why hadn’t Maggie been looking for her? Beth had always held out hope that she’d be reunited with her family, both blood relative and her adopted prison family. She shook off the feeling that threatened to weigh her down as she threw the covers off her and got dressed to start her day. She gathered Judith and got her dressed then brought her to the common room to find Ani making a small breakfast. Judging by the empty cans in the trash bag they had started, the boys had already eaten.

“Any idea where the guys are?” Beth queried as she broke up some crackers for Judith to chew on.

“No. Jesse was already gone when I woke up. I haven’t seen Tyreese either. Maybe they went out hunting or went to find stuff for tomorrow,” Ani answered. 

Beth’s face was lined with concern. “Huh. That’s really weird. Why couldn’t they have left a note? Idiot boys.” Beth grumbled, her frustration with the situation clearly evident.

“That they are,” Ani agreed, almost laughing. “I’m sure they’re fine, though. They can all take care of themselves, so the three of them together will be okay, don’t you think?”

“I hope so,” Beth answered, handing Judith another cracker to gnaw on. “So, I was thinking, if we’re getting everyone out of Terminus tomorrow, they’re going to need a place to stay. Would you mind helping me clean up the apartments so everyone can just move right in?”

“Sure,” Ani smiled. “It’s not like I’ve got much else to do.”

They found a couple brooms, along with dust rags and pledge. The rooms didn’t have to be spick and span spotless, but after the rest of the group had been through God knows what, Beth thought it would be nice for them to come home and have somewhere clean and safe to sleep. The girls worked together, starting at one end of the hallway and making their way down. Most of the apartments were decently clean anyway, just needing a once over to freshen them up. If she thought it would be safe, Beth would have taken the boards down from the windows and opened the rooms up to air them out a little. She thought better of it, wanting to be safe rather than sorry. Ani had found a couple cans of glade, which definitely helped, at least for the moment.

A thought popped into Beth’s head, one that wouldn’t go away until she addressed it. “Ani, can I ask you something?”

“Sure. Shoot.”

Crap...how was she supposed to start this without making Ani feel bad. “Um...it’s just something I’ve noticed, and I’m just being nosy.”

Ani looked at her, her dark eyes searching. “Just ask. If I don’t want to answer I won’t.”

“Well...since you’ve been here, you always volunteer to stay inside. I totally get wanting to stay safe, but...it feels like you’re afraid to go outside. What’s going on?”

Ani stayed quiet a moment, and Beth immediately regretted asking. She was about to take the question back, to forget the whole thing when Ani said softly, “It’s the smell.”

Beth was puzzled. “The smell?”

Ani nodded, “That dead smell that hangs everywhere. When I went home looking for my family, that was all I found – the smell. I fell apart there in my living room. My whole family was gone. I was ready to just give up. I heard one of those things moving in one of the bedrooms, growling and moaning. Whoever it was, they weren’t human, not anymore. I didn’t want to wait around to see if it was what was left of my family, so I ran; ran down the street until I found someone else, someone alive. That’s how I wound up at the school; how I met Jesse.” She looked down, “I know it sounds stupid, but with all those things walking around, the air just reeks of them, and I can’t stand it.” As she finished her story, a tear was rolling down her cheek.

Beth put an arm around the girl’s shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. “It’s not stupid,” Beth promised. “I’m so sorry I asked. I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“No, it’s alright. It feels good to talk about it sometimes,” Ani sniffed.

After a moment of the two drawing comfort from each other, Beth backed up, picking up the broom she had set down, smiled, and together, they went back to cleaning.  
As they worked, they sang songs they remembered from their former lives, laughing when they had to resort to made up words when the actual lyrics escaped them. “God, I miss my iPod,” Beth complained. Ani nodded in agreement.

“I miss Netflix. I loved binge watching shows on streaming.” Ani said, wistfully. “And Snickers bars. I would kill for a Snickers right now.”

Beth laughed, “Hey, don’t look at me. I’m a Twizzler’s girl.” They laughed together and continued working. 

They had saved the gamer’s room for last, knowing that one would take the longest time to clean out. They were just starting to make some headway in the messy apartment when Tyreese and Jesse returned, each carrying a bag of supplies.

“Where were you two?” Beth asked, trying not to let the worry in her voice be heard. She didn’t want to come across as a nagging wife or mother or anything like that, but she couldn’t help but be annoyed that they had all just up and left without any notice or thought for her and Ani.

The two men looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them, before Tyreese answered, “Just went around town, gathering more supplies. Figured if more people are showing up, we’re gonna need to feed ‘em.”

Beth’s eyes narrowed, trying to determine if he was hiding something from her. “Where’s Daryl, then?”

“Probably out hunting,” Jesse suggested. “We, uh…we haven’t seen him in a while,” he continued, trying to hide a smile.

Beth knew something was up, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She’d play along for now. “You guys have any trouble out there? Did you find everything you needed for tomorrow?”

“No, nothing happened that we couldn’t handle,” Tyreese replied with a grin. “Best get all this stuff put away. Start figuring stuff out for dinner. Comin’ Jesse?”

Jesse nodded, “Yup. Right behind ya,” and they quickly left the room. 

Beth and Ani looked at each other. “What the heck was that all about?” Ani asked.

“I have no idea,” Beth answered, “but I can’t wait to find out. Let’s finish this room up and get some dinner.”

XXXXX

Beth had waited up as long as she could. She played solitaire, finished crossword puzzles, straightened up their apartment, until the light was just too dim to do anything else. She had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for Daryl to return. She had no idea how long she had been out when she felt his arms cradle her to his chest and carry her to the bedroom. She felt him carefully tuck her in before slipping into bed next to her. She instinctually reached for him, sliding her arm across his chest and pulling herself close to him. “Where were you?” she breathed sleepily.

Daryl kissed her forehead and wrapped his arm around her torso. “Out taking care of things. Took longer than I thought.”

“I missed you,” she said through a yawn. “I was worried.” 

“I know sweetheart. I missed you, too. I’m back now. No need to worry. Go back to sleep. Got a big day tomorrow.”

Beth only nodded against his chest, feeling sleep pull at her again. “G’night,” she murmured.

Daryl chuckled and held her close. “Good night, Beth.”

XXXXX

The next day was full of nervous excitement. They spent a good part of their day reviewing every step they needed to take to make this mission a success. While they talked, Daryl decided they all probably needed to clean their guns, make sure they were in good working order. 

As the day drew on, and the sun reached and passed its apex in the sky, the five of them grew quiet with tension, with anxiety. They knew better than to let fear sink too far into their minds. They ate a hearty lunch in near silence. If they were to meet up with Patrick and Scott just before sundown, they wouldn’t have time to eat any kind of dinner, so it was best to eat up now. As the sun touched the tops of the trees, Daryl alerted everyone that it was time to get going. 

Ani wished them all good luck. Tyreese, Daryl and Beth all hugged and kissed Judith and were met with a chorus of “Ba’s” and “Da’s” in response. Jesse stood awkwardly in front of Ani, as if he couldn’t decide what do to. Finally Ani stepped up and hugged him, and he hesitantly let his arms close around her, just barely touching her, before he relaxed into a hug and pulled her close. Beth took the sight of the two of them in, but remained reticent as she loved on Judith and returned her to her toys in the play pen.

Tyreese walked with Beth, Daryl and Jesse toward the train tracks, wishing them all luck as he took his place in the second story of the warehouse on the edge of town. As the three of them began their trek toward Terminus, Daryl turned back and saw him in the window, keeping a distant watch over them, and waved. He readjusted the bag on his shoulders, settled his crossbow against his back, and led them toward the meeting place.

No one spoke much as they drew closer to their destination, just warnings here and there of uneven terrain or to comment on how the weather was actually agreeing with them and refused to grow too hot. The sun was still hanging well above the horizon when they arrived at the deer stand. Daryl knew they had arrived earlier than he’d planned, but it wouldn’t hurt to rest up a little before the other two joined them. He motioned for them all to sit, to take a load off and catch their breath while they waited for Patrick and Scott.  
Jesse leaned up against a tree, crossing his legs in front of him and fiddled with the straps on his backpack. Beth sat opposite him, and Daryl joined her, their legs resting along each other. She forced a smile up at him as he took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “Yalright?” he asked gruffly.

Beth nodded, “Yeah. Just nervous. Hope the other two show up soon. I hate the waiting.”

Daryl squeezed her hand, “They’ll be here. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine, in and out. You’ll see.” Beth met his gaze again, the anxiety in her eyes met with his confidence. He pressed a kiss to her temple. It did little to calm her nerves, but it was something, an anchor for her, a lifeline to help bolster her resolve.

The three of them didn’t have to wait long before Patrick and Scott appeared. Apparently they were just as anxious to get the mission underway. They all greeted each other. “Ya ready for this?” Patrick asked.

“Bout as ready as we’re gonna be,” Daryl replied. 

Beth spoke up, “Where’s Christy? I thought your wife was helping.” She looked at Scott, waiting for his answer.

“She couldn’t get off duty to meet you all out here,” Scott answered. “It would have been too suspicious. ‘Sides, she can do more help on the inside, anyway. If anything goes south, she’ll be right there to help, plus she can get you in and out and try to keep some of the Termites distracted.”

Beth felt the flutter of nervousness in her stomach again. Not trusting her voice, she only nodded her head in understanding. She hadn’t thought much about how this whole plan could go so wrong. They were all severely outnumbered, and they were trusting these two men who could just as easily be leading them to their death rather than helping their friends escape. Beth wasn’t sure where this sudden lack of faith was coming from, though if she had to guess it would have started when those awful men had taken her away from Daryl. Now, about to be surrounded by strangers again, she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Maybe there was still time to...no, she thought. She had to be strong. Daryl and Jesse, Scott and Patrick...Maggie...they were all counting on her to do her part. She wouldn’t let them down, wouldn’t chicken out. She raised her chin stubbornly, steeling her nerve, breathed deeply, and prepared for what was to come, what was expected of her.

“We gotta wait out here for a while. They’ll be running a fence check just before sunset,” Patrick explained. “Once that’s done, the night watch will be keeping their eyes on the main entrance. We’ll be coming in under their radar, off to the side...near the holding crates. You brought the cutters, right?” Jesse reached behind him to the bolt cutters he had brought with him and presented them to Patrick. “Right on, man. Alright, before we go...” Patrick began as he headed toward the tree with the deer stand. He scaled the ladder; once he reached the top, he bent down and picked up the rope and started coiling it neatly before settling it on his shoulder and returning to the ground. 

Daryl looked at him curiously, “What’s the rope for, man?”

“Hey, ya never know,” Patrick grinned at him, almost as if there was an inside joke that no one else was privy to.

The sun continued its slow fall toward the horizon. The group went over their plan once more, ensuring everyone was on the same page with no questions or last minute forgetfulness. They made their way toward the fence, creeping as near as they dared, making sure to stay hidden in the foliage of the surrounding forest. Eventually, a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle came into view, checking over the fence thoroughly. Beth heard Patrick whisper, “Like clockwork. Won’t be long now. Ya ready, girlie?” He looked to Beth for her answer. She glanced up and down their small line of attack, and nodded quickly, trying not to let her fear show. Patrick just grinned at her. “Don’t you worry. We’ll be fine. In and out. You’ll see.” 

Beth frowned slightly at his words, almost a direct quote from what Daryl had told her earlier. She shook her head, disregarding the obvious coincidence, and focused on the task ahead of her.

Once the armed man was out of sight and the last rays of light faded around them, Patrick stood slowly and gestured to the rest of the group to follow suit. He led them a little further down the fence to where there was a little more cover. Once he found a satisfactory spot, he motioned for Jesse to get to work cutting into the chain link fence in front of them. He worked quickly, creating a gap large enough for them to sneak through, but not so big to be noticed right away by humans or walkers.

Once inside, they prepared to set their plan into action. Beth readied herself to make her way toward the large building ahead of her; inside were those Gareth considered the most dangerous. Scott had told most of these people had showed up alone, or had tried to escape, and so, were kept in this solitary confinement where a sharper eye could be kept on them. She looked in front of her, deciding which path would keep her hidden the longest, when she felt a hand close around her upper arm. She was so transfixed on the task at hand that she hadn’t heard Daryl approach her; she jumped slightly at his touch. Realizing who it was, she instantly relaxed. He pulled her close to him, crushing a hard kiss against her lips, briefly sliding his tongue between her lips, which had parted in surprise. 

Daryl rested his forehead against hers, his eyes never leaving hers. “No goodbyes, right? You’ll be alright, you’ve got this. I’ll see you soon.” 

Beth nodded then kissed him quickly once more. “I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Daryl said before straightening his back and rolling his shoulders back. “Let’s do this, huh?” he smirked at her. 

Encouraged by his own confidence, Beth stepped back and started making her way toward the entrance she needed. She tested the door and was thankful to find it unlocked. She chanced a glance behind her and saw the four men sneaking from behind the box car, making their way toward the guards. She watched as Patrick approached one of the men on guard, bringing him into a conversation about who knows what, distracting him so the other three could make their move. Beth pushed through the doorway, trusting the men to release whoever was being held in that box car and take care of any Termites that got in their way.

As she entered the building, dimly lit by candles lining the walls, she saw a woman standing at the far end of the hallway, and Beth’s breath left her. There in front of her was the woman from the picture frame – Christy. She had a warm face, though now it was crossed with alarm at Beth’s sudden intrusion. Beth swallowed hard, trying to find her voice, and softly called out to her, “Christy? I’m Beth .Scott said...”

She was cut off by Christy shushing her abruptly. The woman briskly moved down the hall, wrapping Beth in a surprising hug, rapidly whispering into her ear, “Shh! Gareth just left. If he were to find you in here...if he knew what was going on outside...we’ve got to be quick and quiet. Gareth took them...he took all but one.”

“Took them where?” Beth asked, trying not to panic.

“To their trial. It won’t be long before he...” Christy began, before looking down at the floor sadly. “They call this hall ‘The Last Walk.’ I’m sure you can imagine why. Gareth never lets them last long if they end up in here. I’m only supposed to be in here to check on the one he left. I’ve got to go before he gets suspicious. I’ll meet you out by the fence once everything is clear on this end. There’s one more left, a woman, second door on the right. Good luck.”

Beth watched as Christy hurried down the hall and out the opposite door. Breathing deeply to try to control her heart rate, she turned and moved to the door Christy had indicated. Beth turned the knob and threw the door open, as she had seen Daryl do when clearing a room of walkers. Open the door quickly and back up so you could get the drop on whatever was inside. When nothing happened, Beth moved to the other side of the door, peering into the small room. In the darkness, she saw a slight figure moving toward her, slowly, unsure. Beth stayed her ground, pulling her knife out of its holster. “Come on out, it’s safe,” she motioned with her hand. As the woman stepped closer, Beth tightened her grip on the handle of her knife, bracing for whatever might happen next. She all but dropped her weapon as her eyes finally focused on who she had just rescued...  
Carol.

XXXXX

Patrick made his way to the men on guard outside the box car Gareth was using as a holding pen. He didn’t know exactly who was inside, but he did know there were easily a dozen people being held captive in there. He flashed his customary smirk as he drew closer, acting as if he had every reason in the world to be there this time of night. “Hey, Jim!”

“O’Connor? What the hell are you doing down this end?” the man responded in obvious surprise.

“Oh, ya know, just out for an evening stroll. Enjoying the weather.”

Jim apparently wasn’t taking the bait. His grip tightened on his weapon, “Oh yeah? And you need your gun and...rope...for a stroll, huh?” 

Patrick swallowed as he realized the conversation had attracted the rest of the guards. Gareth had increased security around the box car with such a large group waiting inside. “Hey, ya never know, right?” he said with a shrug.

Just by that, Daryl, Jesse and Scott rushed the rest of the guards. They had agreed to avoid killing anyone if they could, so the first guards went down quickly, all receiving blows to the back of the head, dropping them instantly. The other three guards turned to see what the commotion was. Daryl quickly threw a right hook, smashing into one man’s nose, stopping the man in his tracks. 

Scott, Daryl, Jesse and Patrick ended the scuffle quickly, easily incapacitating the guards that were left standing. Daryl panted and smiled; not a shot had been fired. 

“And you wondered what the rope was for?” Patrick said with a laugh as he started dragging all the guards together into a circle, leaning them against each other, back to back. Daryl and Scott helped him tie the men together. Jesse rushed over with his bolt cutters and started working on the chain holding the door shut. The chain slid to the ground with a loud CLINK, and Jesse swore, looking around apologetically. He worked to slide the door open and stepped back down the steps. Daryl abandoned the task of tying the guards to head into the box car.

Daryl stepped slowly into the car, his gun drawn, hoping those inside wouldn’t confuse him for one of their captors and attack him. As he stood there, the figures before him began to walk toward him. He held his breath as they drew closer, his eyes wide, searching for someone he recognized. It was so damn dark in the train car, he could feel himself tense with the uncertainty of the whole situation. Finally, a voice broke the strained silence, “Daryl?”

His breath rushed out of his lungs. He’d know that voice anywhere. There standing in front of him was Rick; behind him, Glenn, Maggie, Michonne, Carl. Christ, they were all here, except for Carol; there were three faces he didn’t recognize, but he didn’t question their presence there. A whispered, “Holy shit,” escaped him as he stepped forward and hugged Rick tightly, as if they were long lost brothers. They clapped each other on the back before parting, trying like hell to keep an air of manliness between them. 

Daryl cleared his throat and told the group, “We need to get outta here. No telling how much time we have before these assholes get wise to what we’re doing. Follow Patrick and Scott here, they’ll get you to the fence, and Jesse here will get you back to the train tracks.” They didn’t wait for any more instruction; they all headed down the steps and followed Patrick toward the hole in the fence, which was being held open by Scott. 

The group was on their way to escape, lining up at the fence waiting to get out, when Daryl heard footsteps approaching behind him. He turned, drawing his gun up again and aiming toward the sound. He immediately relaxed as he saw the silhouette of a slim figure jogging toward him, pony tail bouncing behind her. As she got closer, he shouldered his weapon and held his arms open to her. Beth had made it; she ran into his embrace, kissing him as if they hadn’t seen each other in days, when the whole process had actually only taken maybe a half hour. As he set her down, he looked behind her and his breath left him again. 

There was Carol and a woman he faintly recognized from the picture frame in the bedroom he and Beth had been sharing. The other woman, who he assumed was Christy, rushed past him and on to Scott, who immediately caught her in his arms. Carol’s pace slowed as she saw the exchange between Daryl and Beth, and she brushed by them toward the rest of the group trying to escape. 

Daryl clenched his jaw in frustration at the woman. Even after being rescued, Carol couldn’t be bothered to say two words to them? Not wanting to spend any more time worrying about her, he grabbed Beth’s hand and led her to the fence. By this time, nearly everyone was well on their way through the woods and on the way toward the train tracks.  
Daryl and Scott were the last two out. As they crossed into the tree line they heard running footsteps on the concrete behind them, angry shouts, and the RAT-TAT-TAT of gunfire chasing them. Daryl hoped the cover of the forest and the cloak of night time would be enough for them to escape. They, literally and figuratively, were not out of the woods yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! I think this is my longest chapter yet. What’d you think? Also, this is one chapter I actually created a playlist for (called "Let's Kick some ASS!") It's rife with alternative, lots of Sugar Ray (their Floored album, not the bubble gum, pop stuff), Cake, Disturbed, etc...with the Boondock Saints soundtracks mixed in. Good music to just get your blood pumping, ya know?  
> As per usual, I do not own anything pertaining to The Walking Dead. Ani, Christy and Scott are all based on real people; Jesse and Patrick, well...I’m sure you can guess...  
> And by the way, if you think their escape was too easy, you’re right...they aren’t safe at home yet. Not giving anything away, but they’ve still got to make it back to the town...who knows what may happen.   
> That said, be sure and let me know what you think! Also, shameless plug for Second Chance, my other story that I’m co-authoring with Remi Savant. Go check it out!


	26. Chapter 26

Jesse had been waiting with the group near the train tracks, not wanting to leave anyone behind. As they heard the gunshots firing, everyone fell to the ground, avoiding any stray bullets that might come their way. He thought briefly about taking everyone to the deer stand, which would get them further away from the heavily guarded main entrance, but decided against it, opting to stick with the original plan instead. Daryl and Scott said they would be the last two out, and there was still no sign of them.

"What the hell are we waiting for?" said a large man with red hair and a heavy handlebar mustache. Jesse didn't know any of these people from the man in the moon, didn't know if any of them were dangerous, even if they didn't have any weapons.

"Daryl and Scott. They should be on their way," Jesse explained, hoping his answer would satisfy the group. "Once they get here, we've got a couple miles to go until we get back to town. We've got an apartment building that's pretty secure that we'll be staying in until we're sure it's safe."

The group in front of him grumbled at having to wait, wanting to get as far away from this place as they could...and quickly. When Jesse had explained they were waiting for Daryl, who had just saved them, they grew quieter.

It wasn't long before Carol made her way to the group, then Christy, Scott, Beth and Daryl. As the group heard them approach, they all made ready to run. Beth could just see Maggie's brown curly hair at the head of the group, but knew this wasn't the time for heartfelt reunions.

"Normally, I'd say we oughta stick to the trees," Patrick announced," but that's just going to slow us down. Following the train tracks will be easier terrain, but Gareth and all them will be able to catch up to us."

Scott caught up to Patrick and Jesse at the head of the group. "We gotta follow the tracks. The Termites are starting to move. Speed over stealth, especially with a group this size. We're heading out now. Jesse and Patrick are gonna lead everyone down the tracks. The rest of us will be covering you from behind. We don't have much time! Let's get going!"

Jesse took off, Patrick following closely, both of them carrying their weapons already drawn. They kept a steady pace, not wanting to leave anyone behind, but not wanting to give the Termites a chance to catch up to them easily. They were only a few miles away from the town, but trying to run in the faint moonlight kept them from running as fast as they really could.

Every so often they'd hear gunshots behind them. The group collectively held their proverbial breath as they were running, thankful no one had been hit by a stray bullet, and that the waning moon didn't provide enough light for the Termites to have any actual aim. Despite having to run for their lives after being cooped up in that boxcar for days, they kept moving as fast as they could, all of them thankful they were alive and headed to safety.

After keeping the pace for just over an hour, Jesse saw the break in the trees up ahead, thankful they had made it back to town without incident. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the road flare he had tucked away there. Holstering his weapon first, he pulled the cap off and watched the fuse ignite. He made sure to keep the flare low and in front of him, blocking any light with his body; he didn't want to give the Termites behind them any clue as to their whereabouts.

Jesse kept his grip tight on the flare, gritting his teeth at the sparks spraying against his skin as he ran. The bright red light was nearly blinding, making navigating especially difficult. He was suddenly thankful to be running along the tracks, knowing the rails would keep him on course even if he veered to one side or the other and falling down the embankment.

The flare was supposed to alert Tyreese that the group was on their way so he wouldn't start shooting blindly at his own people. Hopefully the older man hadn't fallen asleep through the course of the night. Finally Jesse heard Tyreese's sharp whistle, the signal they had agreed on to indicate that he had seen the flare and it was safe to continue on to the apartment building.

Jesse picked up speed, sprinting up ahead of the group to unlock the apartment building. He dropped the flare in the street in front of the building then keyed open the door and yelled up the staircase to Ani, letting her know they had all returned safely. He heard her open the door and run to the landing of the stairs, looking over the railing down at him. She looked like she hadn't slept all night. He stood in the entryway, catching his breath for just a moment, before dropping his back pack to the ground and grabbing the bolt cutters, then stepped outside the building.

He watched as the group hurriedly made their way in and up the stairs, Tyreese included. As Daryl passed, he nodded and pulled the door closed behind him, leaving Jesse outside. He heard the lock click behind him and felt a sudden sense of dread wash over him. He swallowed it down; now wasn't the time to wuss out. The group needed him, needed his speed, to make them safe.

He bent over and picked up the flare, then dashed to the end of the street, toward the school. He raced toward the gym doors and threw the flare far out of sight, pausing to catch his breath. He pounded on the doors, alerting the walkers already groaning inside, and waited for their incoming guests.

In the dim, pre-dawn light, Jesse could just make out the first of the Termites making their way into town. They moved cautiously, knowing the group of runaways had to be here somewhere. The group divided as they ventured further into the town, spreading out to try to find the recent escapees. Jesse grinned to himself. You'll never find them, he thought.

He tightened his grip on the bolt cutters and put them to work, snipping through the links of the chain then pounding rapidly on the door. He ran to the other set of doors, repeating the action. He had just cut through the second chain when the first set of doors crept open from the inside. He dropped the cutters and darted around the corner of the building, racing toward the subdivision nestled behind the school. There he found the house they had secured yesterday and took up shelter there.

XXXXX

Daryl watched Jesse through the boards covering the window in the main apartment. He was quite pleased; everything had gone according to plan without not one injury. He watched as the walkers slowly made their way out of the gym and immediately started swarming toward the Termites, who happened to be busy checking all the buildings for signs of life within. "Here we go," he alerted the rest of the group, who was still recovering from their hour long run. Patrick joined him at the window, as did Rick.

Daryl glanced over at Ani, who was all but fretting off to the side, suddenly surrounded by strangers. Beth was standing near her, and he caught her eye. She nodded at him and put her arm around Ani. "Jesse got out okay. He'll be safe in that house," Daryl said to Ani, who only nodded in response. "It's all part of the plan. Everything else has worked so far, don't worry. He'll be back once the walkers have cleared out a little."

The three men watched as the swarm of walkers rushed up on the Termites below. It was hardly a fair fight – there had to be at least two hundred walkers against their 15 or so people. The steady stream of the undead pouring out of the gym doors showed that there were far more hiding in the gym than they had originally thought. All the better, Daryl thought with a smirk.

Finally the Termites realized what was happening and started opening fire on the walkers. Daryl noticed that some just up and ran back toward the tracks. He wondered if any of them had had any training like the prison group had. Just how sheltered were they up in Terminus? He shook his head at them, frowning on their lack of preparedness. How had these clowns gotten the best of Rick and the rest of the group?

Those who had stayed to fight took down several of the walkers surrounding them, but it wasn't enough. More and more of them turned and ran, fleeing the town, while others had frozen in place and succumbed to the onslaught of walking corpses. Most of the walkers ended up following those who ran down the train tracks. Daryl figured some would wander off into the woods, too. The whole ordeal had lasted maybe ten minutes. He almost felt bad for the Termites. Almost.

It didn't really much matter in the end. The herd feasted on the few Termites that had tried to stand their ground, and now the rest were well on their way out to the compound with several dozen walkers trailing behind them. There were only a few roaming the street below at this point. Daryl figured he could easily get some of the group to go down and take care of them all, but they were all exhausted, himself included. They could wait until everyone had recuperated a little before taking on that task. Instead he turned from the window and looked around at the group, his family, reunited at last.

"That was quick," the red-headed man broke the silence. Daryl observed the man; he was leaning against the wall near the kitchen, seated next to a Hispanic looking girl, both of them dressed in camo. Next to her was a large man with a mullet and a beer gut, wearing a too small camo jacket. He looked incredibly pale, and still hadn't caught is breath from the run from Terminus.

Daryl nodded then replied, "Yeah…it's not over yet though. Still a bunch a them walkers out on the street. They look like they're starting to clear out, chasing after the fuckers that ran away." He refocused on the redhead, "Never caught yer name."

"Name's Abraham," he said, raising his hand for a small wave. He gestured to the girl next to him, "This here's Rosita, and Eugene." At the mention of his name the man with the mullet started to sit up straighter, but then slouched back down.

"And that's Tara," Glenn piped up, motioning to a girl Daryl thought looked familiar but couldn't quite place. "She helped me get out of the prison. We were following the road out of there and met up with Abraham's crew. We stayed with them for a while until I saw Maggie's Terminus sign." At this, he tightened his arm around Maggie, pulling her close to his side. "Tara and I split off from them, and about got trapped by a bunch of walkers in a collapsed tunnel, only to be rescued by Abraham's group. Only now they had joined up with Maggie, Sasha and Bob. It had to have been the best rescue ever," Glenn finished with a wide grin.

"Why'd you split?" Beth asked. Daryl looked at her and noticed her eyes slightly red-rimmed. She was tired, he could tell, but he saw a sadness in her eyes, but there was something else there too, something hiding deep within the depths of her beautiful green pools, that he couldn't make out.

"Abraham's on a mission to get Eugene up to D.C." Glenn continued. "Turns out Eugene knows what caused everyone to turn into the walking dead. He says people are waiting for him up in Washington, that he's been in contact with them this whole time. Abraham's making sure he gets there safely."

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Abraham added. "Since he knows what caused all this, hopefully he can work on a cure."

Daryl eyed the group suspiciously. He didn't buy the load of bull, not for one minute, but wasn't about to call the man out on it either. If they wanted to go all the way up to D.C., who was he to stop them? Instead, he looked over to Rick. "What about you guys?"

"The Governor and I were slugging it out once all the shooting started. He damn near choked me out…thought I was done. Then I saw Michonne's sword punch right through the bastard's chest. She saved my life," he said with a certain warmth in his eyes as he regarded the woman. "I got back up to the prison and found Carl. We found our way out, made it to a house. Michonne caught up with us again, and we've been following the train tracks ever since."

Daryl noticed Rick glanced around the group, almost nervous, sharing pointed looks with Carl and Michonne. It was as if he was holding something back; whatever it was, he wasn't about to share it with the group. Daryl shrugged it off, figuring if he wanted to share, he would in his own sweet time. The rest of the group, he noticed, seemed to relax a little as they realized the Governor was, in fact, no more.

"So how'd you guys wind up here?" Rick turned back to Daryl.

Daryl looked over at Beth, who smiled back at him, and cleared his throat before beginning. "We got out together. Some asshole up and kidnapped her when we got swarmed by walkers. I got caught up with a group of ass hats, but then she escaped and we found each other again. We got away from the group and found this little town. Soon Tyreese and Carol made their way here, too. They, uh...they had a little surprise, too." He paused a moment, debating on whether or not he wanted to out Carol, to tell everyone what she had said about Beth and how she'd ran off without word one. Instead, he made eye contact with Beth, and motioned with his head toward their room, where he knew Judith was sleeping.

Beth smiled, catching on immediately and rushing out into the hallway. She heard Daryl's low voice rumble through the hall as she went to wake up Judith. Upon entering the apartment, she froze with stark realization; now that Scott and Christy were back, they'd more than likely want their apartment back. There were plenty of rooms to go around, that's not what bothered her. It dawned on her that she and Daryl had been, well, very busy at night, and she didn't have any opportunity to wash the bed clothes. Frantically, she searched through the linen closet, pulling out a fresh set of sheets, quickly stripped the bed and re-made it, and stuffed the old sheets into a trash bag.

Thankful that she had thought of the quick change before it was too late, she walked back into the living room, and picked up the sleeping Judith from her crib. Going against every instinct she had, against everything she'd been taught about waking sleeping babies, she jostled Judith awake. She instantly started fussing, and Beth worked to quiet her down. She didn't want to bring her in to see her daddy after all this time all upset. Beth quickly changed her diaper, which helped to quiet her down, and sang softly to her. Once Judith was calm again, Beth grabbed her bottle and her favorite toys, and made her way back to the common room.

As she entered, she heard Daryl explaining how they'd met up with Patrick and Scott. Knowing the story was coming to an end, she walked through the middle of the circle and gently knelt in front of Rick, who was still listening intently to what Daryl had to say. When he finally looked up, he choked back a yell of surprise, of joy, of disbelief; it was a sound only a parent could make when reunited with their child after being separated from her for weeks on end.

Beth almost cried as Rick tenderly took Judith into his arms. The look on the baby's face was priceless; Beth could tell she was trying to figure out who this bearded man was. "Hi, sweetheart. Remember me?" Rick croaked out, his voice thick with unshed tears. The rest of the group stayed stock still in anticipation. Suddenly, the little girl started babbling and waving her hands around excitedly, which lead to a collective sigh from the group. She may not remember that Rick was her father, but she did remember him enough to be comfortable around him and that was something. Carl looked over his father's shoulder and smiled at his baby sister, reaching in to tickle her round little belly, causing her to giggle, which lead to the rest of the group chuckling at the sight of the newly reunited family.

"Well, I'm exhausted," announced Tyreese. "I can't imagine how y'all feel after running all that way. Ani, if you want, I'll take the master key and open up all the rooms. There's plenty of beds and couches to go around for everyone. Then I'm gonna go catch some shut eye. G'night, y'all."

Everyone stood and walked into the hall to find their new living quarters. Maggie and Glenn rushed over to Beth and they both gave her strong hugs, making promises that they'd catch up more when they'd all rested, then left hand in hand to find a room together. After they'd gone, Beth stepped over to Christy and explained that their apartment was all theirs, and that she and Daryl could just stay in the manager's room.

When Rick started to walk out into the hall, Judith erupted into a chorus of "Ba's" and "Da's", reaching her pudgy little arms toward Beth and Daryl. Beth looked guilty as she suggested Judith stay with them in the manager's room for tonight, so Rick and Carl could get some decent sleep, and to help keep Judith with a sense of normalcy. Rick's face fell as he realized what Beth was trying to say; that Judith would probably be scared being away from her surrogate mother and wouldn't be happy with her own father. Beth assured him the arrangement was just for the night, that they'd work on getting reacquainted when everyone had gotten some sleep.

Rick reluctantly agreed and turned her over to Beth. Once the baby was nestled in her arms, she laid her head on Beth's shoulder and let her eyes start to droop closed. "I promise, Rick, it's just because she's tired. I did wake her up just now so you could see her, so she could see you. She's a smart girl. I'm sure she'll realize who you are soon enough." Rick nodded silently; he clapped his hand on Carl's shoulder and guided him out to the hall to find a room to catch some sleep.

Beth looked at Daryl and smiled weakly, fighting back tears. She felt awful at hurting Rick like that, after all he'd been through, but knew Judith, knew she most likely wouldn't react well to the new situation without being gradually reintroduced to her father and brother.

Daryl crossed to her and wrapped both girls in his arms, kissing Beth on the forehead, then Judith. "C'mon. Let's get some shut-eye." Beth nodded and placed Judith in her play pen, offering her a bottle and humming a soft lullaby as Daryl looked on. Once the baby was well on her way to sleep, Beth followed Daryl to the bedroom.

Seeing the bed brought back memories of their first day in the apartment building. Beth flushed a little at the thought; she was silently thankful that she was almost done with her cycle. She knew her cycle was shorter than most women's; Beth grinned as she imagined surprising Daryl very, very soon.

They both kicked off their boots, too tired to change into their night clothes. Besides, Beth thought, I left them all in the other room. She mentally kicked herself for her lack of thinking ahead, but reasoned that she could easily get them later.

Beth slid into bed, close to the wall, leaving plenty of room for Daryl to lie next to her. He opened his arms, allowing her to snuggle in close to him, her head on his chest.  
"I'm glad you were right," Daryl mumbled, already fighting off sleep.

"Me too," Beth murmured through a grin. "About what?"

Daryl chuckled. "Smart ass," he said, playfully swatting her butt. "About everyone being alive, and safe, and knowing that we'd find them."

Beth hummed, "Me too." She stretched a little before settling back against him again. "I love you, Daryl."

Beth felt him smile against her, "I love you, Beth." He kissed the top of her head before whispering, "Good night."

Beth smiled as she lifted her head to place a kiss on his jaw. "Good morning," she said with a smile and returned to rest her cheek directly above his heart.


	27. Chapter 27

Daryl woke up the next morning to the sound of doors opening and closing. He started to get up, automatically on guard, before realizing the apartment building was now full of his family from the prison. He relaxed back into the bed, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. He curled himself around Beth, carefully wrapping her up in his arms. She stirred against him and snuggled closer to him, then blinked her eyes up to meet his. “Mmm...good morning,” she purred.

He kissed her forehead, “Morning. Sleep well?”

Beth yawned and stretched her arms and wrapped them around Daryl’s neck, “Yeah...I kinda miss the other bed, though. How’d you sleep?”

“Good. I know what ya mean about the other bed. Sure was a lot more comfier than this one. It ain’t so bad though,” he smiled at her. “It may be smaller, but it keeps us nice and close,” he murmured as he lowered his head to kiss her.

Beth smiled against him as she teased her tongue along the seam of his lips. Their tongues met an instant later, dancing around each other. He slid an arm beneath her neck, pulling her close, and rolled them together so his torso was covering hers. She shifted so he covered her more completely, spreading her legs so he could fit easily in the cradle of her hips. She felt him buck against her, sending a thrill through her body. 

She realized, if she’d counted her days right, that she should be all finished with her monthly visit. She tried pushing gently against Daryl’s shoulders, hating to break the mood but knowing he wouldn’t mind when she revealed just why this interruption was so very important. She tried explaining, giggling and kissing him between her words, “Daryl…honey…I need to get up. Baby… I need to…check something. Daryl, come on, stop…let me up…just wait…”

Somewhere in the middle of it all, the bedroom door swung open, Maggie standing on the other side with a shocked look on her face. “What the HELL do you think you’re doing?!?”

“Maggie!” Beth shouted, quite alarmed at the intrusion. “What are you doing in here?” Daryl scrambled to get off her as she fought to get out of the bed and face her sister.

The older sister stormed in, trying to get at Daryl. “Seriously? She said stop, you ass! Did he hurt you, Beth? Did he…”

Beth planted her feet on the ground, fixed her sister with a look, and pushed on her shoulders. “Maggie, stop! You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh, I think I do, Beth. I walk in and he’s on top of you, you’re telling him no, and it certainly didn’t look like he was ready to stop.”

Beth tried to control her anger, to keep her voice even. “No, Maggie. No. You don’t know. Daryl wasn’t doing anything wrong, anything I didn’t want him to, and either way, you don’t have the right to question anything we do. You don’t get to walk in and suddenly pretend like you give a crap about me or what I do.”

Maggie stopped in her tracks, her hands dropping to her sides. “Bethy…what are you talking about?”

“Don’t Bethy me, and don’t act like you’re miss innocent and big sister of the year,” Beth said in an even tone. “You left me.”

“Bethy, I...I had to…I had to…” Maggie stammered.

“I know,” Beth cut her off, “you had to go find Glenn. I get it. And you never stopped looking for him, right? I saw the signs for Terminus that you left for him. I know that you love him, that you had to find him, that you wouldn’t stop until you found him. I get that you’d fight your way through hell to get to him” she turned and looked at Daryl. “I definitely understand that,” she faced her sister again, “but what about the rest of us? Did you think of me, even once? Did you think of anyone else but him?”

“I…I…” the older Greene girl fought to find her proverbial footing. When had her sister become so bold, and so…not her little sister?

“You can ask Daryl, I never gave up on finding you, on finding anyone. I’ve always believed we’d find you all. How long was it before you gave up on me, Maggie? Was I just a lost cause to you? Was there ever any hope of finding me, or did you just write me off right away?”

“Beth, no, I…”

Beth stopped her again, “No. I’m not done. You had told me to get on the bus. The same bus Glenn was supposed to be on. Did you find that bus, Maggie?” She paused, and Maggie’s face spoke volumes without uttering a word. “I thought so. Did you look for Glenn? Did you look for me?” Again, a silent moment, giving her sister a chance to answer. Beth took in and released a shaky breath, fighting back tears, knowing Maggie’s silence was all the answer she needed to know she was right.

Daryl sat and watched the whole scene unfold before him. His gut instinct was to tear Maggie a new one, to rip into her about what a crappy sister she’d been. Hell, Merle was a piece of shit for a brother, but even Merle would have kept looking for him. He bit his tongue, however. His Beth was strong, she could handle herself. She’d proven it time and time again; she didn’t need him to fight her battles for her, especially not this one. 

His eyes flitted back and forth between the two Greene sisters as they fought and noticed movement in the living room behind Maggie. He couldn’t figure out how Maggie had gotten into the apartment in the first place; he was sure he had locked the door the night before. He saw several of his friends standing in the living room or in the hallway, all pretending not to listen, but not doing a very good job of it. He saw Jesse walk out into the hall, and Daryl wondered momentarily when he had returned. When Daryl saw Tyreese, standing slightly awkwardly in the kitchen area, it clicked – Tyreese had taken the master key last night to get everyone set up in the different apartments; he must have opened up the door to this apartment looking to get breakfast for everyone. Daryl sighed internally. He steadied himself, thinking, “Just a little longer…”

“Maggie, I can’t tell you how hurt I’ve been since I saw your signs. And not just for me. You didn’t give a lick about any of us. I couldn’t believe how selfish you’d been. I don’t know if it hurts more that you’d be so thoughtless, so consumed in your quest to find Glenn, or that you had forgotten about me, figuring I wouldn’t have made it. I would have thought that you’d have a little faith in me. 

“I know you think I’m weak, that I’m helpless, but I’m not a little girl, Maggie. I can hold my own. I was kidnapped and almost raped, but I got out, all on my own. I found my way back to Daryl. I’ve killed people, not just walkers, in order to survive. And I have Daryl to thank for it. He didn’t coddle me like everyone else always has. He showed me just how strong I really am. What I’m really capable of. 

“So no, you do not get to tell me or Daryl what we can or cannot do. I love that man. I’m his and he’s mine, and there isn’t a damn thing you could do or say to tear me away from him.” She puffed out a calming breath before adding, “I think you need to get out. I really don’t want you in here right now. Please, Maggie, just leave me alone.” Beth turned and sat by Daryl, burying her face in his chest as he slipped a consoling arm around her shoulders. 

Maggie stood there, just inside the doorway, looking as if she were searching for something: searching for the words to say to make this all better; searching Daryl’s face for any kind of reaction. Daryl only stared back at her with no trace of hatred or animosity, just disappointment and a look that showed he’d easily defend Beth if Maggie continued to press this issue further.

“Beth…I…I’m so sorry,” was all Maggie could get out before turning and leaving, closing the door quietly behind her.

Daryl didn’t dare move. He could have been holding her minutes or hours, and he found that he didn’t care. He felt Beth’s tears start to fall the moment Maggie had left, felt her sobbing breaths against his chest. All he could do was hold her, rub her back to try to comfort her, and whisper soothing words and place soft kisses on the top of her head. He let her get it all out, knowing that she’d been holding all of that in for a long damn time.

Outside the bedroom door, Daryl heard his family raid the kitchen for breakfast then return to their rooms. Judging by the lack of Judith’s usual morning sounds, he guessed that someone had taken her out of the play pen and brought her with them. They were alone as they could be. 

He wasn’t sure what a suitable amount of time was to let Beth cry it all out, but her tears had stopped a while ago, and her breathing had eventually returned to normal. He brought his hand up, cupping his fingers gently beneath her chin, urging her to face him. When her eyes finally met his, he asked softly, “You okay?”

Beth hung her head again, resting her forehead on his shoulder. “Oh, Daryl, I don’t know. I hate yelling at her, hate fighting with her, but she…god she just pissed me off so bad.” She raised her eyes to meet his again. “I mean really? Who does she think she is? Seriously!”

Daryl chuckled softly. “I know, darlin’. I know. I’m pretty sure ya got through to her, though” he said with a grin. “I’m proud of you.”

Beth shook her head and frowned slightly, “For what?”

“For standing up for yourself,” he explained. “You took it to her, laid it all out there, and left her fuckin’ speechless. The look on her face was priceless. It was…amazing to watch. My bad ass Beth,” he smirked at her and planted a kiss on her temple.

“I wasn’t too mean, was I? I didn’t really want to yell at her, especially in front of everyone,” Beth sniffled a little, and she searched his face for an answer, her eyes bright with tears.

Daryl shook his head, smiling gently at her. “No, sweetheart. She deserved everything you dished out. You were a hell of a lot nicer about it than I woulda been.” She nodded against him, accepting his answer. “Come on, let’s get dressed, grab some food, and take a walk. Clearing out the left over walkers will do ya some good. Get out some frustration.”

Beth let out a breathy laugh. “Okay,” she whispered as she moved to get up off the bed.

“Hey,” Daryl pulled her back to him, catching her by surprise. He kissed her tenderly and breathed, “I love you,” against her lips.

Her lips curled upwards before she kissed him back, “I love you, too.”

They dressed quickly and opened the bedroom door to find the living room empty except for the piles of supplies they’d been stockpiling the past couple of weeks...and Carol sitting quietly on the couch. Beth and Daryl both immediately tensed up. Daryl wasn’t sure what Carol was doing here, and Beth just wasn’t ready for another confrontation so soon after the blow up with her sister. She swallowed her trepidation and shyly greeted the older woman, “Hello, Carol.” 

Carol stood to face the pair of them. “Hi Beth...Daryl. Can I talk to you?” She saw them exchange a nervous glance before Beth turned to her and simply nodded, almost cringing, seeming to be afraid of what was coming. “It’s nothing bad, I promise.” She saw Beth relax, only slightly, but Daryl stayed stoic, keeping his arm around Beth’s waist. 

“I want to apologize...for a lot of things. First of all, for how I behaved the last time I was here. Even if I didn’t agree with the idea of you two being...together...I had no right to treat Beth so poorly. I’ll admit I was a little jealous, but more than that, I just could not understand what you two saw in each other. Instead of accepting it, I acted horribly toward the both of you. I said a lot of things I regret now, and I’m sorry for all of it. I shouldn’t have left the way I did, either, just sneaking off without a word, and I’m sorry for that, too. 

“But most of all, Beth, I apologize for completely underestimating you. While I was locked up in Terminus, I had a lot of time to myself to think, especially on what Daryl had told me about you. I had never thought of you as being strong at all, I’ll admit it. I guess you’d have to be strong to make it all the way out here for this long. 

“Last night, when Gareth had come into my cell...room...whatever, and he told me my time was coming, I thought I was a lost cause. I had all but given up on ever getting out of there. And then there you were. You made it in, unscathed, and you, Beth, you rescued me. You lead me out to safety, and I should have said something but...I don’t know...I’d like to think I was just caught up in trying to escape, but if I’m honest, it was my pride, still not wanting to acknowledge that I was wrong about you.

“And just now, how you stood up to Maggie, your own sister, and held your own against her. That showed an inner strength I haven’t ever seen in you.”

Beth and Daryl just stood there, taking it all in, not quite sure how to react. Beth was near tears again. Finally, she found the strength to move, and broke free from Daryl’s hold on her, crossing the room to Carol, hugging her warmly. “I forgive you, Carol. I’m glad you’re back.”

Carol didn’t respond at first, not sure she had really earned forgiveness so quickly. She hesitantly brought her hands up to return Beth’s embrace, surprised to feel tears running down her own face. “See what I mean? You’re probably stronger than most of us...to be able to forgive so easily.” After a long moment, she felt Daryl’s presence next to her, and she wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him into the shared embrace. Beth stepped back after a beat, letting the two find absolution in each other. 

Carol pulled back, quickly wiping the tears from her cheeks and spoke, her voice thick with tears and emotion, “Well, I’m sure you guys are hungry. I’ll leave you two alone.” She released a shaky smile, “There’s a lot to do, I better get going and help.” With that, she hurriedly exited the room.

Daryl and Beth eyed each other in disbelief. “Well, I’ll be damned,” Daryl mumbled, hardly able to believe what had just happened. “Remind me never to piss you off.” Beth looked at him quizzically. Daryl explained, “Hell, you got an apology out of Carol because ya took it to Maggie. That’s some powerful words you got there.” He grinned at her and turned his shoulder to try to ward off her playful smack on his arm before pulling her to his side. 

After they had grabbed a quick breakfast, Beth and Daryl headed out of the apartment building, having found it nearly empty. Most everyone was outside, taking out any straggling walkers, as well as any that had been attracted by the gunfire from earlier in the morning. It was good to see everyone in action again, working as a team, a cohesive group, as a family. The two of them made their way down the street. Daryl took the lead, not because he didn’t think Beth could handle herself – she had proven that many times over – but because he had something special in mind for her.

They reached the end of the main road and stood in front of the now empty school. The gym doors still stood open, and the awful stench of death was still pouring out of them into the street. Beth wondered if they’d ever be able to use the gym after having housed hundreds of walkers for such a long time. As they stood looking back at the street, Daryl reached down and laced his fingers between hers. He gently tugged her toward him and cocked his head in the same direction, indicating which way he wanted them to go.  
Beth had never been on this end of town. She followed Daryl through turn after turn; commercial buildings gave way to houses. Eventually their path led to a quaint neighborhood of charming houses, each similar to its neighbor and yet different enough to have its own sort of character. 

Daryl stopped in front of a house toward the middle of the street. It had an overgrown flower garden in the front yard, which was surrounded by a white picket fence. The house was white with blue shutters and a bright blue door. He looked over at Beth and watched her take it all in. “What do you think?”

Beth glanced back at him and returned her gaze to the house. “It’s really cute.”

Daryl could barely contain his smile. “Wanna try it on?” She studied his face, trying to understand the joke. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key on a key chain and dangled it in front of her. Her eyebrows drew together; she was momentarily oblivious to what he was trying to get her to understand. He jerked his head toward the house, teased the key in front of her again, waggled his eyebrows and smiled broadly. 

Beth tentatively reached up and took the key then looked back up at the house. Her eyes continued to move between the house, the key in her hand, and Daryl’s smiling face for a moment before she whispered, “Are you serious?” It was all Daryl could do to nod, obviously pleased with himself. Beth leapt at him, encircling his neck with her arms, hugging him tightly. “Are you serious!?” her voice rose an octave in her excitement. She finally released him and darted toward the gate, unlatching it quickly, and ran up the pathway to the front door. She slid the key into the lock and opened the door. 

All of the curtains and blinds had been drawn back, allowing the sunlight to shine through the windows. Beth could see all the little details of the living room in front of her. There was a gorgeous area rug lying on the beautifully stained hardwood floor. A comfortable looking couch took up the wall to her left, a fireplace sitting in the wall to her right. A well-loved rocking chair filled the far corner, covered by a warm looking quilt. There was a set of matching book cases framing the fireplace, housing dozens of books as well as knick knacks and picture frames. What made Beth’s heart try to leap out of her chest, however, was sitting exactly opposite her.

There on the inside wall was a spinet piano, the wood stained a stunning mahogany. Next to it was a small shelving unit full of copies of sheet music of all kinds. It almost killed Beth to walk out of the room, to explore the rest of the house, without lifting the keyboard cover and playing a few experimental notes, but she fought back the urge and continued through her new home.

The kitchen was small, but had enough room for a small dining table. A quick look through the cabinets and drawers revealed a decent supply of canned food, along with lots of different kinds of spices. The lower cabinets were fully stocked with pots and pans. She looked out the window sitting above the sink and beamed at the sight of a vegetable garden, now wild and overgrown, but still thriving in the back yard. 

Down the hall, Beth found two bedrooms. The master bedroom had a four-poster bed and was covered with a lovely comforter. At the foot of the bed was a trunk full of different sets of blankets, sheets and pillow cases. The second bedroom held a single twin-sized bed and...a crib. Beth’s heart thudded hard against her rib cage at the possibilities running through her mind. She knew Daryl did everything with a purpose; this particular piece of furniture was here for a reason, and one reason only: to be filled with a baby of their own one day. She blushed a little as the idea nestled in her brain and found she was strangely comfortable with it. 

As she walked through the rooms, she realized everything was spotless. There wasn’t a speck of dust or dirt to be seen. She deduced this is what the boys had been up to the day she and Ani were cleaning the apartments. He had spent the day preparing this house, making it perfect, just for her. Her heart warmed at the thought, the smile on her lips growing with every step of her survey of the house.

On the way back to the front room, Beth stopped in to inspect the bathroom, which was a decent size, considering the size of the house. A claw-foot bath tub dominated the room, off-set by the vanity with drawers already full of bath linens and soaps and other necessities...even the feminine products she preferred. The towels hanging from the towel rack were fluffy and soft; her imagination brought up images of stepping out of a warm bath and wrapping herself in them. Beth was more than a little disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to use them that way, that they might as well be decorations. Out of habit, she leaned over the tub and tested the faucet. To her surprise, a gurgling sound met her ears, followed by a trickle of brown water that eventually turned clear. She couldn’t contain her laugh; she couldn’t believe it; Daryl had found a house that apparently had a well connected to it. She thought of bubble baths, then of candle lit baths shared with him, wrapping each other in the overly soft towels before kissing each other down the hallway and into bed.

Daryl had found her the perfect house.

Now where had he gone? 

Beth suddenly realized she was alone on her self-guided tour. She cautiously walked back to the front room, searching for the man she loved so very much. Once she crossed the threshold into the room, she froze in place. All the breath rushed out of her lungs. She couldn’t believe the sight in front of her.

There was Daryl, still in the entryway, down on one knee, his hands holding a small, black velvet box. He was giving her the biggest smile she had ever seen cross his face.   
“Oh my god.” The only words she could muster. The only words that could fit in her head.

Daryl cleared his throat, his smile never once leaving his face. “Beth, you are my everything. You are my world. I couldn’t survive without you. If I’m to be the last man standing, I want you standing right there with me, all the way to the end. Will you make me the happiest, luckiest man in the world? Will you marry me?”

Beth stood there, letting his words wash over her. She slowly crossed over to him; he took the ring from the box and reached for her left hand. The band fit perfectly on her slender finger; the diamond sparkled brightly in the midday sunlight streaming in from the doorway behind him. She instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, crushing her lips to his. They came together beautifully, naturally; their mouths opened simultaneously, neither wasting any time in tasting each other. 

Daryl got to his feet; he tossed the now empty ring box to the floor then reached blindly behind him to close and lock the front door. Without ever breaking their kiss, he reached down and scooped her into his arms and carried her back to the master bedroom and laid her gently on the soft mattress. He knelt next to where she lay, all but tearing his shirt off before lowering himself to cover her body with his. He ran a trail of kisses all along her skin, relishing in the soft noises she began to make, as if he’d never truly tasted her before, as if this were all brand new to both of them. He breathed her in and groaned in desire, in frustration, in the need to see, feel and taste all of her at once.

He leaned back and rested on his haunches, staring down at Beth, already looking disheveled in her longing for him. Without either of them speaking a word, she knew what he needed, what he wanted; her nimble fingers reached down to the hem of her shirt and started to pull it up and over her torso, revealing her milky white flesh to him. As she struggled to wrestle the garment up and over her head while still lying down, Daryl bent over her, running the tip of his tongue from her navel to her breastbone until he was stopped by her shirt bunched under her armpits, by the silky fabric of her bra. He reached behind her, swiftly unclasped her bra, and grabbed at her shirt, still stuck beneath her, lifting it up over her head, freeing her from both garments in one fell swoop.

Words wouldn’t do her justice; he could tell her all day every day how beautiful she was, how very much he loved her, and it still wouldn’t be enough. He set to the happy task of showing her, treasuring her, worshipping her with his hands and mouth. There wouldn’t be an inch of her perfect skin left untouched, unkissed, unsavored by the time he was done. His hands roamed over her, relishing the feel of satin beneath his rough, calloused hands; his mouth paid homage to her perfect breasts, licking, sucking and teasing each nipple in turn until they were pebbled exquisitely in his seeking mouth. 

He eventually pulled back to gaze down on her and hummed in satisfaction, then almost growled as he attacked her neck again, licking along the alabaster skin before nuzzling the tender flesh behind her ear. He moaned wickedly in her ear; he’d never been very vocal in the times before, but he was trying to tell her without words that he wanted to hear her: every gasp, every moan, every soft, “oh” that was reserved for him and only him. He wanted her to know they didn’t need to hold back, not ever again, that they had absolute sanctuary within this house. He bit down on her earlobe, eliciting a sharp gasp from her which melted into a low moan as he began sucking on it. Daryl returned to his quest of claiming every inch of her with his lips, teeth and tongue, urging her to make all the noise she wanted.

Daryl had slid between her legs, and was leaving kisses and love bites all down her chest and over her abdomen. His chin had finally reached the waist of her jeans, teasing and tempting her; he ran the tip of his tongue back up her stomach, between her breasts, before claiming her mouth with his, delving his tongue between her saccharine lips, when he felt her push against him, effectively switching positions, flipping him onto his back and straddling his hips. He couldn’t hold back a grin as she gazed down at him, a matching smile on her face.

She lowered her head, showing him the same diligence in her ministrations. He was completely enveloped by her arms, her body, her sweet smelling hair. He reached up and pulled the elastic band from her golden locks, releasing them in a cascade of curls falling around him. He ran his hands along the soft skin of her back as she kissed every inch of him she could; his neck, his broad shoulders, down and across his chest. She treated him with the same careful, yet shameless abandon he had shown her. She took her time in her rediscovery of him. Even though it had only been days since they had been together like this, it seemed like weeks, months, years. Any minute away from her was like an eternity.

Daryl was helpless to stop the reaction he was having due to her expert mouth; as she traveled lower, further and further down his body, his hips instinctively bucked up against hers. She smiled against him and lifted her eyes to see the almost pained expression on his face as he tried to reign in his increasingly insistent urges. She sat up, letting her weight rest on his hips, never breaking eye contact; she playfully dragged her hands along his skin, running her fingers through his curling chest hair, lightly teasing his nipples with her fingernails. She smiled wickedly as he sucked in a sharp breath then fixed her with a look heavy with need for her. Her fingers trailed down over his stomach, finally meeting up on the button of his jeans. 

The moment she popped the button and slid his zipper down, Daryl felt an instant relief and pressure as his dick grew even harder than it already had been. She started to wriggle against him, inching her way further down his legs to remove his pants, but he stopped her, gripping her arms and pulling her firmly against him; his need to feel her close to him, to feel her skin on his, was too great to be put off for another minute. 

He rolled them again, letting his weight rest on top of her again, letting her feel his hardness against her. He rocked back on his knees, quickly unfastening her jeans. He crawled backward, pulling off her boots and hastily dispensing of her pants, tossing them on the floor with the other clothes they had shed. He ran his hands along the smooth skin of her legs, long and skinny and perfect to him. He kissed her ankle, her calf, behind her knee, along her inner thigh, all the time getting closer to the spot that ached for him...that he was aching for. He suddenly retreated and kissed along her other leg, building the anticipation between them a moment longer. He finally returned to the treasure between her legs and pressed a kiss against her panties, which were already soaking wet. 

He teased his fingertips along the outside of her hips then curled them under the waistband of her cotton panties and pulled them down her slender thighs, past her knees, and over her calves and ankles before tossing them over his shoulder. She sat up at that, needing to kiss him, to taste him again, all the while her hands busy trying to push his jeans and boxers over his hips. Daryl removed himself from the bed, toeing off his boots and taking off the last of his clothing. 

Before returning to her, Daryl slid his hand along the inside of her leg, trailing his fingertips along her delicate skin before reaching the place that was already dripping wet for him. He ducked his head, not able to resist tasting her before continuing. His tongue swept along the length of her slit, then teased her swollen clit; he eased two fingers inside her, almost losing himself to the feel of her. He had almost forgotten how tight she was. 

Daryl pulled his hand and mouth away from her, not being able to hold himself back anymore; he needed her. Now. Needed to bury himself in her hot, silky center before he lost control. He reached up to the nightstand where he had hidden their stash of condoms and grabbed one. A look of surprise crossed his face when Beth’s hand closed around his, taking the foil packet out of his fingers.

She smiled softly as she tore the packet open, removing the latex ring, then leaned toward him and rolled the condom over the length of him. Daryl clenched his teeth at the feel of her hands on him. He had to hold out, had to maintain; there was no way in hell he was going to disappoint her when they were so close.

Beth lay back down on the pillows, her hands running along his arms, pulling him to cover her. She raised her knees and spread her thighs, inviting him into the cradle of her hips. He slid into her easily, both of them sighing as they finally, completely came together. Daryl took a minute to regain control; she was so damn tight, tighter than he remembered, and hot and wet for him. He prayed he would be able to last, not for any sense of pride, but to bring her all the pleasure she deserved. 

He moved slowly within her, reminiscent of their first time together, savoring the feel of her against him. He felt her hands running along his back, over skin and scar alike; he felt her breasts crushed against his strong chest. Daryl slid his arms around her, encircling her, as his thrusts became more insistent, more forceful, her breathy moans urging him on. He buried his face in the sweet space between her neck and her shoulder, relishing the feminine scent that was all Beth. He heard her breath begin to catch and knew she was close to finishing. He angled his thrusts differently so his pubic bone ground against her clit with every stroke; her increased moans told him it was only a matter of time. 

She tensed suddenly underneath him, her thighs tightened around his hips, her fingernails dug into his back. Beth released a long, loud groan as she came undone, her inner walls clenching strongly around him. Knowing she had found release gave Daryl permission to finally lose himself in her. He rocked into her, harder than before, plunging into her as deeply as he could. He felt the telltale tingling at the base of his spine, in the pit of his gut just seconds before he grunted loudly against her skin, exploding within her. His movements eventually slowed; he never wanted to stop this feeling of closeness between them. He would never be able to get enough of her.

He braced himself on his arms, relieving some of the weight from her slight body, now thoroughly ravished. She grinned up at him with her Cheshire cat-like smile and pulled him down for another kiss before he rolled himself off her. They wrapped themselves in each other’s arms, their legs tangled together. They kissed softly as their breathing returned to normal.

“So?” Daryl raised an eyebrow at her.

Beth looked at him confusedly. “What?”

“Was that a yes?”


	28. Chapter 28

Daryl and Beth returned to the apartment building the morning after he proposed to announce their happy news. When they found the group eating breakfast in the manager’s apartment, everyone seemed a little stand-offish in light of what had happened between Maggie and Beth the morning before. Glenn nudged his wife, urging her to step forward, here in front of the group, to apologize and smooth things over with her little sister; she and Glenn agreed that since Maggie was the one to make their fight such a public affair, it was only right that she reconcile the matter publicly as well. 

“Beth, Daryl, I was completely out of line yesterday, barging in on you and jumping to conclusions. I am so, so sorry. I only heard...what Beth was saying...and assumed the worst. Daryl, you deserve far more credit than I gave you, and Beth, I should have trusted you to make your own decisions.” Beth and Daryl both nodded, silently accepting her apology, but knowing, hoping, more was coming. 

“I can’t explain my thinking after the prison fell. I can’t explain why I hadn’t thought to look for you. All I could do was hope to find Glenn. I’d like to think there was a part of me that somehow knew you were alright, but in reality...” Maggie paused, swallowed hard, and looked at her fingers nervously twisting together, “...in reality, you were right. I hadn’t given you, or anyone a second thought.” She looked apprehensively around the room, meeting everyone’s eyes. “I feel absolutely awful,” she continued. “We’ve been a family for almost two years, and I gave up on everyone the first time things got too hard. I’m so very sorry, and don’t blame you if you hate me, because I’ve certainly hated myself since Beth pointed everything out yesterday. I know I don’t deserve it, but I hope you can forgive me.”

Rick cleared his throat and spoke at that, “To be honest, Maggie, I think that’s how a lot of us are feeling right now. I can only speak for myself, but I think we were so focused on just surviving out there, alone again with very few weapons, no back up, that we hardly had a passing thought about finding anybody else.” The members of the prison group nodded, almost shamefully, showing their agreement with Rick’s statement. “Like you, Maggie, I hadn’t realized any of that until Beth here revealed that to all of us. Truth be told, I’m glad you caught the brunt of all that yesterday, but we all probably deserved to be on the receiving end of that verbal lashing.” Chuckles rippled through the group at Rick’s attempt to lighten the mood. He continued, “I won’t be so naïve to think that a group apology will make it all better, but I think we can all walk away from here a little wiser because of this.”

Silence filled the room as everyone let Rick’s words sink in. Daryl noticed that Patrick had been bouncing his knee as both Maggie and Rick had spoken. He grinned; the man seemed to be a ball of non-stop energy. Daryl wasn’t surprised when Patrick was the one to speak first, announcing that he was heading down to the street again to try and come up with a plan for securing the town. Tyreese and Jesse both got up to join him, followed soon by Sasha and Bob. Once they had left, others in the group found ways to busy themselves, whether gathering more food, searching for undiscovered supplies, or standing guard against walkers or any of the Termites that might be brave enough to return. 

The room eventually emptied out, leaving Beth and Daryl to face Maggie and Glenn. Beth had just opened her mouth to speak, but Maggie started first, “Beth, I’m so sorry. I feel like complete shit. You were absolutely right about everything. There’s no excuse for me thinking you wouldn’t have made it. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

Beth threw herself at her sister, not able to hold back anymore, wrapping her in a tight hug. “I forgive you, Mags. I’m glad you’re back. I love you.” She let a few happy tears trail down her cheek. “I missed you so much.”

“Oh, Bethy, I love you, too!” Maggie cried against her sister. “I don’t know how I can ever make it up to you.”

Beth leaned back and ran her hands down Maggie’s arms, placing her own hands in her sister’s. “I think I’ve got a way that’ll work,” she said with a smirk.

Maggie’s eyes widened with hope. “Anything! Name it,” she adamantly demanded.

Beth smile grew a little wider, “Be my maid of honor?”

Maggie’s fingers suddenly grew cold, confusion crossing her face. “Wha...what did you say?” Beth wiggled her left ring finger against Maggie’s hand; the older sister looked down and stared at the diamond twinkling happily on Beth’s hand. “Oh my god! OH MY GOD! What...when? When did this happen?” Beth pulled back and caught her breath to answer, 

“Last night. It was perfect, Maggie.” Beth’s smile now stretched across her face, a slight blush filling her cheeks.

“Congratulations, man,” Glenn suddenly spoke up, reaching to shake Daryl’s hand. Daryl grinned, almost bashfully, as he accepted Glenn’s handshake. 

“And you guys are sure about this?” Maggie asked, then immediately withered under Beth and Daryl’s identical looks of disdain. “Well, someone’s gotta ask. Daddy read me the riot act before me and Glenn got married. You’re...you’re not pregnant, are you?”

“Maggie!” Beth exclaimed, half in surprise, half in anger. Was she really doubting their relationship again?

Maggie held her hands up, “Okay, okay. I was just asking. I’m happy for you guys, I really am. It’s just...gonna take some getting used to is all.” She pulled her younger sister in for another hug, then slid an arm around Daryl as well, congratulating them both on their happy news. 

News travelled fast through their small group. Everyone welcomed the news with joyous acceptance. Carol even extended her congratulations, which surprised both Beth and Daryl. There was still a certain amount of tension between the three of them, but it was at least subsiding the longer they spent together.

Life slowly returned to some semblance of normal for the prison group. There was no way to know if Gareth had made it back to Terminus, and though Patrick volunteered to return in order to find out, the group voted against it, determining that it wasn’t worth the risk. Instead, Patrick, Rick and Daryl worked on securing the tiny town. With everyone pitching in to collect materials, they started constructing a fence to block off the roads in and out of town and create blockades and traps for the spaces in between buildings. They focused on the main part of town first and had plans to expand the fence as more materials were found. Everyone pitched in to move cars to help create a barrier, filling in gaps with anything they could readily find – trash cans, pieces of sheet metal, wooden pallets, and chicken wire. Eventually they’d find pieces of barbed wire and chain link fence to supplement and complete the fence. As the fence grew closer to completion, the atmosphere among the group lightened and felt more secure, more relaxed, more like home.

XXXXX

Just over a month had passed since Daryl had proposed and Beth happily accepted. They were both more than grateful to be in their own house, far enough away from the rest of the group to fully express their love for each other...in every room of the house. 

Together, they began to make plans for their wedding. Beth had only ever wanted a simple ceremony, surrounded by her friends and family; it had been her dream even before the world had turned upside-down. Daryl thought she deserved much more than that, and it hurt him that he couldn’t even give her a honeymoon, let alone a lavish ceremony and reception like he’d seen in movies. However, he knew better than to argue with her. He would give her the world if she asked for it; if this is what she wanted, this is what she would get. 

They both decided that an actual wedding ceremony would be hard to arrange since they didn’t have a minister to perform the rite. Instead they agreed to simply marry each other; the sacrament made between them did not necessarily need an officiant, at least not for these circumstances. Maggie and Rick would be their maid of honor and best man, but everyone would be counted as a witness, not just a wedding guest. 

That part settled, Beth and Maggie set to work planning the little details; Daryl was put in charge of hunting down something for the dinner after the ceremony, and he was happy for it. Any decorations they could find were little more than ribbons and streamers and a few balloons they had found in the convenience store in town. Sasha volunteered to take care of flowers, and set to scouting out flower gardens in the scattered neighborhoods. The tasks were menial at best, but didn’t keep anyone from working to secure the town for long, and added a happy excitement to the group. Even Abraham’s crew, who had been itching to head out to Washington, D.C., had decided to stick around to see the happy occasion.

XXXXX 

The fence was coming together nicely, albeit slower than anyone would like. Rick reminded everyone that it would be better to be thorough rather than rush and have to go back over what they had already done anyway. The new residents of the town felt safer as the fence reached completion. They had begun to explore beyond the main streets of town, finding more housing options for everyone, but still decided to remain in the apartment building, feeling more secure being so close to their family after living in such tight quarters in the prison. While the apartments certainly provided more privacy, the group enjoyed the added security just as much.   
No one was left in the apartments this morning, however; they were all gathered in the small chapel on the edge of town. 

Everyone had dressed in the nicest, or at least the cleanest, clothes they could find. Once everyone had found a seat in the first rows of pews, Rick and Daryl appeared from the preparation room behind the altar. Remarkably, they had each found a suit coat and tie. Rick and Beth had eventually convinced him to wear the dress shoes and pants they had found for him. He had even combed through his freshly washed hair, giving some semblance of order to his dark hair. Daryl looked incredibly uncomfortable in such restrictive clothes, but decided to grin and bear it with only a mild look of discontent crossing his features. 

The Greene sisters waited in the back of the church until Rick and Daryl were both in place. Beth had found a simple, knee length dress, white with little blue flowers, while Maggie was wearing a soft blue dress. On Beth’s feet were a pair of white strappy sandals with a slight heel; her hair was set in delicate braids piled high on her head. Maggie helped her apply the makeup Michonne had found that miraculously hadn’t dried out, melted or crumbled, that matched her fair skin. 

Sasha had made two bouquets for the girls, and had even made boutonnieres for Rick and Daryl to match. In each bundle were all manner of springtime blooms: daffodils, tulips and hyacinths, and even an early blooming lily or two. Tiny blue crocuses were woven into Beth’s braids.

Maggie turned to her sister. “You ready?” she asked with a wide grin.

Beth couldn’t have wiped away her smile if she tried, “I’m more than ready.” She took in a breath as if she were going to say something more, but stopped herself. 

“What?” 

Beth shook her head and smiled sweetly, saying, “Nothing,” with mock innocence. Maggie gave her a scrutinizing look, but Beth wasn’t about to tell her secret. It would stay safe in her heart until she had a chance to tell Daryl. She was a week late…and she was never, ever late. When she had realized it this morning, she snuck out of bed and crept to her dresser and silently slid open the top drawer, where she had hidden the pregnancy test she’d grabbed during the run to the convenience store weeks go...just in case. She tiptoed into the bathroom and sat on the toilet. She read through the instructions twice, followed them, and waited.

It was the longest three minutes of her life.

When enough time had passed, she peeked down at the indicator window of the test. There was one dark pink line, showing that the test had worked...and there was a fainter pink line right next to it.

Beth’s heart fluttered rapidly. Her mind was racing; she wanted to be happy, but couldn’t understand how this had happened. They had always been so careful. Well...most of the time. As Beth sat alone in the bathroom, she remembered back to the day she and Daryl had gone hunting together and both of them had slipped down a creek bed, covering themselves in mud and muck. When they returned home, they had bathed together and one thing had led to another. Beth grinned and placed her hands over her lower abdomen, imagining she could already feel the life growing inside her. She was elated, nervous, excited and worried all at once. She got up to tell Daryl right away, but didn’t want to bombard him so soon before their wedding. She looked back and the pregnancy test once more, confirming the two positive pink lines, then wrapped the test in toilet paper, threw it in the trash can, and returned to their bed to curl up with her soon to be husband.

Returning from her thoughts, standing in front of her sister, who was still studying her, looking for an answer to an unknown question, Beth could only smile. The secret would keep for another day…or at least another few hours…and Daryl deserved to know first.

Maggie gave up trying to figure out what Beth was hiding and went to open the doors to the sanctuary. She walked slowly down the aisle, and started laughing as someone started humming “Here Comes the Bride,” and the rest of their friends joined in. Rick met Maggie half way down the aisle and escorted her the rest of the way toward the altar then returned to his place behind Daryl and clapped his brother on the shoulder.

Their family all rose to their feet as Beth stepped into the entryway of the chapel. Daryl swore his heart stopped at the sight of her. He forgot about the pinch of the found dress shoes, the tightness of the tie around his neck, the itchiness of the borrowed suit coat. He forgot about the world outside of this building, overrun with death and hardship. He forgot about his ugly past, how his brother, if he were here, would be mocking and teasing him. 

All he knew in that moment was the woman walking toward him was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life, and he was the luckiest man on earth to marry her.  
When Beth approached her groom, she held out her hand for him to take. He instinctually brought her hand to his lips, then moved to place a kiss on her cheek, before Glenn yelled out, “Not yet!” issuing another laugh from the group. Daryl grumbled something then grinned as he straightened himself back up.

Rick motioned for everyone to be seated, then began to speak. “Before Beth and Daryl exchange their vows to each other, they’ve both asked us to share these words others have written that they feel express how they feel for one another.” He gestured for Maggie to begin.

Maggie walked over to Glenn, who handed her a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and read:

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

After a moment, Rick reached into his pocket and pulled out his own piece of paper and began to read:

“I don’t get many things right the first time, in fact I am told that a lot. Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls brought me here. Where was I before the day that I first saw your lovely face? Now I see it every day, and I know that I am the luckiest.

“What if I’d been born fifty years before you in a house down the street where you lived? Maybe I’d be outside as you passed on your bike, would I know? And in a wide sea of eyes, I’d find one pair that I’d recognize, and I’d know that I am the luckiest.

“I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you.

“Next door, there’s an old man who lived to his nineties then one day, passed away in his sleep. Then his wife, she stayed for a couple of days, and passed away. I’m sorry I know that’s a strange way to tell you that I know we belong, that I know that I am the luckiest.”

When Rick had finished reading, Beth handed her bouquet to Maggie and placed her hands in Daryl’s. They were both trembling slightly, from nervousness or excitement, or some delicious mixture of both. 

Daryl took a calming breath, focused on their joined hands, and spoke softly to his bride, leaving the rest of the witnesses to lean forward, straining to hear him. “Beth, you have shown me that there’s so much more to this world than surviving. You have shown me how to live. I have loved you longer than you realize and more than you’ll ever know. I may not have the perfect words to tell you, and I know I don’t have the perfect past, but I will do my best, every day of our lives, to show you how much I need you, want you, and love you, and promise to give you the best future I possibly can.” He raised his eyes to meet hers, “I will protect you with all my strength, and love you with all of my heart.”

Beth squeezed his hands; her voice shook slightly, “Daryl, you are the absolute world to me. I don’t know if it was God, or Fate, or Chance, or just plain luck that caused our paths to cross, but I am eternally grateful that they did. I know there is still good in this world because through all the mess, through all the hardships and struggles, it brought you to me, and kept returning me to you. This world is good because you are in it; it’s good because it brought us together. I promise that wherever our paths may take us,” she smiled knowingly, “whatever bumps may come our way, I will never leave you. We will face everything, good and bad, together, hand in hand, side by side. I will be standing next to you through it all, until the last, and nothing in this world will ever change that.”

The room was silent, save for someone sniffling quietly, Beth couldn’t tell who. Rick stepped forward and produced their matching wedding bands. Daryl picked up Beth’s ring and slid it carefully onto her finger; Beth took his and slipped it over his knuckles until it rested in place. They held each other’s hands and, together, proclaimed,

“I Beth,”

“I Daryl,”

“Take you to be my husband,”

“Take you to be my wife,”

“To have and to hold,”

“For better, for worse,”

“In sickness and in health,”

“I promise to be true to you,”

“In good times and in bad,”

“I will love you,”

“And honor you,” 

Together they declared, “All the days of my life.”

A wide smile stretched across Daryl’s face as he gazed lovingly at his bride. Beth took a step toward him and he bent his head to kiss her softly. Their family stood and began applauding.

“Come on! Kiss ‘er!” someone yelled, either Patrick or Glenn, Daryl couldn’t tell which, but he took their advice nonetheless pulling his wife tightly in his arms, pressing his lips against hers, pouring all the love he had in his heart into this kiss. He felt Beth return his kiss, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck. They finally broke the kiss and smiled against each other then turned to face their family and their future, hand in hand. 

XXXXX

Everyone gathered in the church’s meeting hall, which Ani and Carol had decorated. Dozens of tea lights and votive candles shed shimmering light around the tables, giving the room a soft glow. Tyreese and Bob brought in pots and pans of food; Daryl had snagged a nice sized buck which Tyreese and seasoned and roasted earlier. Bob and Carl had gone through the vegetable patch behind Beth and Daryl’s house and had steamed some carrots and green beans to add to the feast. Abraham and Patrick had come bearing gifts of whiskey, rum and wine they had found in other houses they had scavenged. Jesse had found a case of Twinkies and Ding Dongs to substitute for a wedding cake. The group laughed as Judith mashed the chocolate and cream between her fingers and proceeded to bring the sweet mixture to her mouth and shrieked in delight. “Looks like little miss has a sweet tooth,” Rick commented as he dodged a tiny chocolate-covered hand. 

After everyone had eaten, Christy and Scott came forward, Scott carrying a guitar. “Come on up, you two. You need to have your first dance. Sorry you didn’t get to pick it...you’re kind of at the mercy of the songs Scott and I know already. We hope you like it.” Beth grinned as she took Daryl’s hand and walked with him to an impromptu dance floor. Scott began picking at the strings and the newlyweds began swaying together. Christy sang softly:

Forever can never be long enough for me To feel like I've had long enough with you  
Forget the world now, we won't let them see But there's one thing left to do

Now that the weight has lifted Love has surely shifted my way

Marry me Today and every day  
Marry me If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe  
Say you will Mm-hmm Say you will Mm-hmm

Together can never be close enough for me To feel like I am close enough to you  
You wear white and I'll wear out the words "I love you" And you're beautiful

Now that the wait is over And love has finally shown her my way

Marry me Today and every day  
Marry me If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe  
Say you will Mm-hmm Say you will Mm-hmm

Promise me You'll always be Happy by my side  
I promise to Sing to you When all the music dies

And marry me Today and everyday  
Marry me If I ever get the nerve to say "Hello" in this cafe  
Say you will Mm-hmm Say you will Mm-hmm

Daryl held tight to Beth as their friends all applauded for them. The small party continued, the few bottles of alcohol werepassed around, friendly conversation filled the air. For a while, they had all forgotten about the world outside; the gathering had made them all feel a sense of normalcy. No one drank enough to lose themselves, just enough to relax a little. 

Eventually the party died down, everyone growing tired as the night went on. They all wished good night and good luck to the bride and groom before retiring to their homes. Michonne followed Daryl and Beth, walking arm in arm, her head resting on his shoulder, as they walked down the road to their little cottage. Beth had made Daryl promise to leave his crossbow at home, instituting a no weapons rule just for their wedding day. Once they passed through the gate leading to their front yard, Michonne bid them good night and returned to the apartment building. 

Together, still arm in arm, they walked down the flagstone path to the front door. Daryl keyed open the door and held Beth back from entering. “Gotta do this right,” he said as he smiled and bent down to scoop her into his arms. She slid her arms around his neck and giggled. He chuckled as he crossed over the threshold of the front door and kissed her soundly before murmuring, “Welcome home, Mrs. Dixon.” Beth giggled again, her smile infectious as he carried her back to their bedroom. 

They made painstakingly slow, passionate love through most of the night, holding nothing back, leaving nothing between them. When they were finally both satiated, Beth lay on her back; Daryl curled around her, one hand curved against her breast, his head cradled against her arm. She could hear and feel him start to lose himself to sleep. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Daryl?” she asked softly

“Mm-hmm?” Daryl murmured sleepily, half yawning as he answered her.

“Baby, wake up. I need to tell you something,” she said nervously, trying to control her pulse.

Daryl hardly moved, just barely lifting his head from her arm. “What’s up?” he asked, his eyes still half closed.

Suddenly Beth couldn’t find the words anymore. Instead, the gently took his hand from her breast and slid it down her abdomen and let it rest over the lower part of her belly...and waited, not able to take her eyes off his face.

It took a few minutes for Daryl to react. She smiled as saw realization finally sink in as his eyes snapped open and looked at where she had placed his hand. He searched her face, seeking to confirm what she was telling him. “Beth,” he whispered. “Are...are you...are we...you’re sure?”

Beth bit her bottom lip, smiled and nodded her head excitedly. She took in his face, committing it to memory; she saw all at once happiness, worry, fear, elation, and, over all, love shining through his eyes. 

Suddenly Daryl’s arms flew around her, bringing her close to him, crushing her to his chest and pressing his face into the space between her neck and shoulder. “Oh my god!” he breathed against her. He pulled back to look at her, cupping her face between his hands. “Oh my god!” he laughed, an enormous smile stretching his mouth. 

“So...you’re okay with this?” Beth asked.

Daryl kissed her before answering, “Of course I’m okay with it. I mean, I’m terrified, and it’s a lot sooner than I expected or planned or...whatever, but Beth, we’re gonna have a baby.” His voice was thick with wonderment and emotion, his smile never leaving his face. “I love you, Beth. We’ll get through this, figure it all out. Together.”

Her hand came up to cup his cheek. She knew he was right. They would be alright. Whatever life threw at them, they could handle it. One day at a time. Together. Forever.

 

The End.


	29. Epilogue

Shortly after the wedding, Abraham, Rosita and Eugene decided they couldn’t delay their mission to get Eugene to Washington, D.C. any longer. This left the group in quite a spot. While they recognized Abraham’s mission as an important one, they had just spent over a month working on securing this town. Now they were all supposed to up and leave their new home? Everyone turned to Rick for an answer – what was the plan?

“There’s no way I can make that decision for everyone,” he replied. “Any chance we have of finding a cure, of ending this plague...we oughta take it. Thing is, I need to think of my family, and you need to think of yours. I hope we all know there’ll be no hard feelings if you decide to stay or leave. As for me, I’m staying here with my children. They deserve a steady home to grow up in, no more being on the run, no more facing unknown threats.”

Daryl stepped up, Beth’s hand held firmly in his. “We’re staying here,” he stated simply. There was no way he was going to risk his wife giving birth on the road; no way he would have his child grow up without any kind of safe haven, any kind of home. They had that here – safety, security, food, shelter. They wouldn’t be guaranteed that out on the road. No, there was no further discussion needed.

Maggie and Glenn affirmed that they were staying in the town as well. Christy and Scott had settled into their old home anyway and had no intentions of leaving. 

Sasha stepped forward, “I’m leaving. Like you said, Rick, if there’s a chance of ending all of this, we need to take it...I need that chance, that hope, and I want to help. Count me in.”

Bob walked up to join her, “Me too,” he said, earning a grateful smile from Sasha.

Tyreese looked torn. He had wanted to stay, was looking forward to having four solid walls around him at night for the foreseeable future. His heart grew heavy at the thought of being separated from his sister again. They had been through so much; he couldn’t bring himself to leave her now. “Looks like I’m going, too. Save my room for me, though,” he said to Rick. “I’ll be looking for a comfy place when I get back.”

“I’m going, too,” Carol all but whispered. Daryl and Beth turned to face her, looking aghast at her quiet announcement. “I’m not sure I really belong with this group anymore,” she admitted sadly. “After what happened at the prison, with the girls, with you two,” she glanced at Daryl and Beth. “I think it’s time I team up with another group.” 

Michonne, Patrick, Ani and Jesse all decided to stay in the town with the remaining group. The rest of the day and well into the night was spent setting up everyone who was leaving with necessary supplies. They met one last time for a shared breakfast, followed by heartfelt goodbyes before Abraham and the rest of the group headed out the northern gate and on the road to Washington. Beth teared up as they departed, consumed with worry for them and wondering if she’d ever see any of her extended family again.

XXXXX

Daryl paced outside his bedroom, cringing and doing his best to contain himself as Beth released screams of pain on the other side of the door. He wasn’t sure which was worse, hearing his wife in pain and knowing there was nothing he could do to help, or worrying during the quiet moments in between her cries, hoping nothing was wrong. 

“Relax, brother,” Rick tried to calm him down. He bounced the little brown haired girl on his knee; Daryl smiled as she giggled. “Beth’s tough, you know that.”

“Yeah, man,” Patrick came up and clapped him on the shoulder. “You got this.”

Daryl looked at the two men trying to help assuage his anxiety. He and Rick had been like brothers for a long damn time, probably closer than he’d ever been to Merle. Patrick had ended up fitting in with them easily, creating an unlikely trio between them. He wasn’t sure he’d ever had actual friends before, let alone close friends like these. Regardless of their attempts to mollify him, Daryl grumbled, “I got the easy part. I hate being stuck out here while she’s...” he trailed off, concern choking off his words.

“Beth will be fine. Christy and Maggie are both in there with her. Everyone will be just fine, you’ll see,” Rick tried to reassure him.

Long moments ticked by, though to Daryl they might as well have been hours, days even. Finally, Maggie peeked her head out into the hallway. Rick and Patrick both stood next to him, all three men anxious to hear the news. “Well, Daddy, are you ready to meet your son?”

Daryl released a loud sigh of relief as the other men began congratulating him, hugging and shaking hands. Daryl took a few shaky steps into the bedroom and saw Beth, looking exhausted, but more beautiful than ever, holding his son in her arms. “Hi, Daddy,” she said, her voice sounding tired, but full of love. “Come on over,” she smiled and turned the little bundle in her arms so he could get a good look.

Daryl sat carefully on the edge of the bed next to Beth. He reached over to the soft baby blanket wrapped around a tiny face and pulled it gently down, revealing the scrunched up face and puckered lips of his son. His heart swelled with joy and his eyes were brimming with tears: tears of joy and love and hope. “Beth,” Daryl whispered, “he’s beautiful.” He leaned over to kiss her gently on the forehead, then kissed the little boy’s forehead as well. 

“He’s perfect,” Beth breathed, the tired smile never leaving her face. “Ten fingers, ten toes, and looks just like his daddy.” 

Daryl quietly laughed. “Nah, he’s got your nose,” he said softly. They were both completely smitten with the tiny baby in her arms. 

The bedroom door opened and a little girl with brown curly hair and bright green eyes ran in and jumped into Daryl’s lap. He scooped her up and hugged her tightly. “Hey there, big girl!” he said then turned her to face Beth. “Emma, meet your new baby brother Jacob.” 

The little girl peered down at the newborn, carefully studying him and deciding he met with whatever standards the three-year-old might have. Giving him a satisfactory look, Emma waved at him and said, “Hi Jacob!” in her high pitched voice. 

The sudden noise made the baby startle and start to wiggle and squirm. He briefly opened his eyes, revealing a set of bright blue orbs to match his father’s. He shut them quickly, starting to fuss. Beth slowly rocked him and hummed a little, calming the infant almost instantly. 

“Alright big girl, let’s let momma get some sleep, okay?” Daryl set her down on the floor. “You’re gonna stay the night at Uncle Rick’s, okay? You and Judy can play together.”

“Okay, daddy,” she said, a little too loudly for Jacob’s liking, causing the baby to start fussing again. She walked over to Beth and wrapped her little arms as far around her as she could. “Bye-bye, momma. Bye-bye, Jacob. I love you.” Daryl picked her up so she could kiss each of them on the cheek, then set her back on the floor.

Daryl offered his hand to walk her to the door, his smile stretching across his face, tears of happiness threatening to fall down his cheeks. He exited the room and was met by Rick and Patrick, still waiting in the hall, now joined by Glenn. 

He handed his daughter off to his surrogate brother and returned to his wife. She looked half asleep already, fighting off the exhaustion from her quick labor. Daryl scooped Jacob into his arms and carefully carried him to the rocking chair he’d brought into their bedroom. He rocked them slowly; without thought, he brought his large hand up to caress the soft, downy hair on top of his son’s head. He let a single finger stroke his tiny, chubby cheek, memorizing how soft his skin felt. 

A tiny hand came out from a gap in the blanket and wrapped itself around his father’s finger; Jacob’s fingers could barely reach around Daryl’s index finger. Daryl rocked gently, smiling down proudly, his heart ready to burst with love. He found himself not able to look away from his son’s face until he heard Beth’s soft laughter drift across from their bed. He looked up and saw her smile matching his. “My two boys,” she sighed. 

Daryl secured Jacob safely in the crook of his arm and scooted the rocking chair closer to Beth’s side of the bed. He leaned over and kissed her sweetly. “I love you so much, Beth.”

“I love you, too, Daryl,” Beth replied, her voice sounding exhausted but not able to hide how much in love she was.

Daryl knew in that moment he would face any threat, any danger, and hardship he’d have to in order to protect his family. All the crap that made up his past, all the pain, the sorrow, the loss, didn’t matter. Here was his future, here with this woman who had changed him completely, and only for the better. 

He sat back in the rocking chair, letting his head rest against the back. He watched as Beth shifted to lie back on the pillows, quickly drifting off to much earned sleep.

Daryl felt another swell in his heart. Just when he thought he couldn’t fit any more in, his heart was entirely claimed by love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is, kids. All done. It’s bittersweet, really. For the last, what, five months...my God, has it been five months?!?...this has been my baby, and I’m a little sad to let it go. On the other hand, it’s a relief to have brought this story to a happy ending.   
> Thank you to all my followers, favorites, kudos, bookmarks, subscribers and reviewers. I literally would not have made this story what it is without you – remember...I was gonna stop after chapter five! I never in a million years would have thought this story would gain such popularity and approval; I certainly never thought I’d enjoy writing so much. It’s all thanks to you guys. Thank you for following me on this cah-ray-zee journey.  
> I think I’m going to take a break for a while. I’ve still got Second Chance going with my husband, and if you haven’t heard, yes I’m continuing Lady in Red to make it an actual story, not just a two-shot. I want to be sure to give it the attention it deserves to make it great, so bear with me. I promise I’ll pick it up again, just...need to plan some things out first.   
> I think I’ve rambled enough. I’d love to hear from you – any story ideas or prompts or even if you just want to nerd out about TWD or Bethyl or BDS or life or whatever.   
> Thanks again – and just think...we’re one day closer to Season 5!


End file.
